His Wings
by Sprint to Finish
Summary: When he holds those wings in his hand, it's a feeling unlike any other. This angel will stay by his side, no matter the price. Three-part fic (companion story to "All to Pieces"; Kanou's POV)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is the partner fic to my story, _All to Pieces._ It's not exactly a sequel as it can stand alone or with the other, so if you haven't read _All to Pieces_ , don't worry. This is simply Kanou's version of the events that happened. Please note that this story will be told in three chapters and will end at the same point as _All to Pieces_ , so if you haven't read _All to Pieces_ but you plan to, I would suggest that if you decide to read Kanou's POV first that you read all three chapters before going back to read Ayase's story, just so you don't get spoiled. I'm uploading the first part now because I had aimed for having the whole story ready by New Years, but as you can tell I fell behind, like always. I'm still tying up loose ends in the other two parts so it will be a few more days before they are also uploaded. My goal is for the whole thing to be up before February.

Also, for those of you who have read _All to Pieces,_ you may notice that dialogue is the same in Kanou/Ayase interactions. Doing so was inevitable, but I hope the meaning will come across differently in this version. I deeply apologize that the publication of this fic took so long. To those of you who reviewed and pm'd me, thank you so much for your encouragement and continued support.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _Okane ga Nai_ , nor do I make any profit from this piece of fanfiction.

()

Blood. No demon was familiar with the feel of it running down their body, knowing that it came from their own flesh. The blood of others on their hands was a different story, but to know that the ruby liquid dripping from his torn skin had come from his own veins- it was an experience that demons, especially ones as powerful as he, rarely knew.

In this instance, it was the price of being banished from the underworld.

Exhausted yet doing his best to keep the pain from showing on his stained face, the demon Kanou Somuku slowly, steadily, made his way up the walk leading to a towering building in the sketchy pleasure district of Shinjuku. He's been here multiple times before; but now, in his tortured state, the walk leading to the front door seemed endless. Though he limped and blood was dripping freely behind him, he carried himself with as much dignity as he could muster. Here, in this place, he could not show any weakness. His back straightened the closer he got to the doors.

Absentmindedly, his fingers brushed the bandages wrapped around his arm. For some reason, they brought a smile to his face. His steps didn't feel quite so heavy.

"Mr. Somuku!"

The human standing guard at the door of the building was rushing towards him. Kanou kept his steady pace, ignoring the concern emanating from the human.

"Sir, Mr. Somuku, you're bleeding! Are you okay, sir?"

The human's hand made contact with Kanou's shoulder, sending a ripple through the demon's body. Kanou's reaction was instantaneous; he jerked, striking out to push the human to the ground.

"Do not touch me!"

Snarling, Kanou limped past the bewildered human with as much dignity as he could summon. Pain radiated from his soul to the very edges of his body. He refused to let any of it show.

The demons in the lobby stared openly as he moved through the hall. Humans wisely stepped out of his way, sensing danger like deer when a wolf has walked by. Behind him, a small trail of blood dripped quietly, marring the tile.

Coming to an elevator, he punched in a code to access the higher floors, his dignity not allowing him to use the time as the box ascended to lean against the walls and rest. As much as he was in pain, he had to remind himself that he had practically asked to be put in this sorry state.

He was a demon, though; even better, he was Kanou Somuku, and he would not be broken by this attempt to humiliate him.

At the classified level, he exited; moving slowly down black carpet that masked the droplets of blood falling in his wake. The religious paintings on the walls laughed at him, while ones of gore and murder screamed tauntingly. Midway down the hall he stopped at a closed door and, without knocking, walked into the room.

Inside, a demon with blond hair and a baseball cap sat in a chair, reading. At Kanou's entrance, the demon gave no sign of having heard him except for a sudden rustling of the large, leathery wings tucked against his broad back. Kanou closed the door and moved to a wooden table near the wall. He sat heavily, one hand finally lifting to hold his side. His dark eyes fixed on the wall ahead.

"I was wondering when you'd be showing up here. You look like shit, Kanou." The blond demon grinned, amusement evident in his tone though his eyes remained on his reading. "Smell like it too."

"Thanks for the update, Gion," Kanou growled lowly. He winced as pain flared throughout his body. Glancing back to the entrance, his eyes noted the trail of blood that had followed his path from the door. "Sorry about the mess."

"I'll just add the cleaning bill to your tab."

"I'm really not in the mood for your sense of humor. You gonna fix me up now or what?"

Gion laughed. "What, no 'please'? And here everyone's got you made out to be a soft-hearted demon with manners."

"Don't mess with me, kid. Banished or not, I can still kick your ass."

Chuckling, Gion closed his book and regarded the leather bound cover. He was only buying time; there was a palpable weight to the air- a heaviness that could not be ignored. Turning intelligent blue eyes to the bristling, weary demon sitting at the table, he let out a sigh. His playful demeanor turned serious.

"I couldn't watch them do it, you know."

Kanou lifted his head to stare at the opposite wall.

"…I know."

"The reason for your banishment is stupid, just a ploy-"

"I know, Gion. It's already done; stop beating yourself up."

For a moment they sat in silence. Then Gion moved to stand, disappearing through a second door to return with a large box of medical supplies. Kanou didn't move as the other demon sifted through the items.

"We'll need to wash all the blood off first. You can take a shower in the next room after we get that shirt off; a gentle shower, though, just to rinse off. Don't go lathering up with my louffa, you hear?" Gion looked up as he extracted a bound bundle. Walking over to the table, he spread it open to reveal an assortment of gleaming scissors, probes, and tweezers.

"Like I'd want to use the same rag that touches your naked body."

Gion shrugged. "You'll change your mind when you see the one in my shower. It's got a handle; and it's poufy."

"Would you shut up already? Your voice is giving me a headache on top of the one that is already splitting my skull open."

Grinning, Gion shifted closer on his knees. "Poor, baby. Maybe the demon council was right about you."

"Gion-"

"Okay, okay, it's out of my system. I promise to be nice…-er."

Kanou closed his eyes as Gion pulled up a second chair next to him. The world was tilting. Crap, how was it possible to feel this bad?

"Hey." The loud-mouth demon lightly took hold of his arm. "Your arm is already bandaged. Did you do that yourself?" Pushing the dark sleeve of Kanou's jacket up further, he examined the knot that had been tied carefully to keep the wrapping tightly closed. "No way did you do that. Who did you see?"

"Does it matter? It's already wrapped up so leave it alone. My back is what you should be fussing over."

Sniffing in contempt, Gion nevertheless unhanded the bandaged limb. He eyed the black suit jacket Kanou wore over a black button up shirt; the back had darkened considerably from a thorough soaking of blood. "I'm gonna have to cut your shirt off. The blood has congealed and practically glued it to your skin. No way am I peeling that thing off nicely; the sleeves will just get in the way. It'll tear your wounds even more, and I am not stitching you up more than I have to."

"Just shut up and do it already, would ya?"

" _Geez_ , mister grouchy pants." Kanou made a motion as if he was going to take a swing at Gion's head, but the blond demon ducked back, grinning. Picking up a pair of scissors, he took hold of the larger demon's arm to carefully extract it from the ruined business jacket. Kanou sighed, but complied and maneuvered accordingly.

"I saw Ichiei and his wife earlier," he said softly as the jacket was pulled from his body. The black shirt he wore beneath it was also stained with darkened blood. Carefully, he lifted his hands to unbutton the front, feeling the fabric pull his skin where the bloody wounds had glued to it.

"Captain Ichiei Yukiya of the Shinjuku angel guard?" Gion frowned. "He's not known for being nice to demons; how are you not speared to a dumpster in some alleyway right now?"

Kanou shrugged. "He was in a forgiving mood tonight. Not like I could have posed a threat to him in the state I'm in anyway."

Shirt unbuttoned, Kanou attempted to pull his arms from the sleeves but stopped when the fabric wouldn't stretch. Gion tapped his scissors lightly on Kanou's head, ignoring the growl that emitted from his patient.

"So what did he do?"

Kanou smiled. "Gave me a lecture."

"I'll bet!" Gion laughed. "Self-righteous little punk."

Having cut his way from the bottom of Kanou's long dress-shirt to the collar on the outside of Kanou's left shoulder blade, Gion unhanded the material so Kanou could pull his arm through the fabric. Sleeve removed, Gion set to work on the other side, working his scissors carefully up the shirt. Kanou listened to the soft _snick_ _snick_ sound as the cloth gave way to sharp metal. The sound ate at him.

"Hey, Gion."

"What's up, big guy?"

"I need one of your workers. A demon: One who can scout."

"Why?"

Lightly, Kanou brushed his fingers across his bandaged arm, watching the material seemingly shimmer beneath his touch. "There's an angel I want to keep an eye on."

"Hey, Kanou, don't go doing this again."

"This is different. He's different from the others, not proud or lording his authority over the rest of us. He's a sweet kid. I know that there's trouble brewing for the angels, and I'll be damned if I stand by and watch him get caught up in something he can't defend himself from."

"Angels are tough little cookies, Kanou. Even a kid angel wouldn't need your protection."

Kanou was silent for a moment; Gion took the opportunity to work the newly-released sleeve from his friend's right arm, leaving a rectangle of fabric still clinging to Kanou's back. Carefully, Gion set to work to slowly peel the rest of the shirt from the demon's bloody skin.

"His wings are messed up." Kanou's voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

"Huh?"

"I said his wings are messed up. This angel, he doesn't seem to understand the meaning of danger. And his body is clearly weak. I was in pain and I still knew that I could easily break him in half. His light is so bright, but Gion, those wings of his are twisted and bent and- I don't think he can fly, let alone fight. He's so young , so… radiant. And when the demons attack, which I know they are planning to do, they'll devour him."

"So? What's it to you? This is what angels and demons do, or has the pain of your punishment made you forget? You _are_ a demon, Kanou. You should rejoice in the destruction of another angel."

"This one is special, Gion. I want him." The dark head turned, lifting golden dragon eyes to cheerful blue; the hunger in them made the blond-headed demon shrink back. "And no one else will have him."

"Sheesh, Kanou, I'm not gonna take your precious angel so stop glaring at me."

Gion sighed. Kanou was staring at the floor now, his hand idly smoothing over the bandage on his arm. With a shake of his head at the display, Gion returned his focus to the shirt.

"Fine, you can have one of my men. Set up a business, get some souls, and trail your little bird to your hearts content. I'm not gonna stop you."

Kanou grimaced as his wounds protested under Gion's ministration. He could feel fresh blood trickling down his back. Despite that, a sense of relief- warm and protective- settled through him.

"No one can know about him. I need someone you trust to keep watch over him; someone who won't go running to the council."

"Hmm. I think you'll remember Mizoguchi Eishou," Gion said. "He supported you. Pretty sure he was at your… ceremony today too. Anyway, I'll have him meet you and you can discuss it with him. I'm sure he'd be happy to do it. You're kind of an idol to him."

Kanou nodded. He remembered Eishou- a demon who had been a part of his gang, eagerly following him around and doing whatever he was told. He'd be the perfect one to keep watch over his angel. "Good. I want this little angel to be kept safe with his own kind until the moment arrives when none of them are left. And then- then I will claim him."

He winced as the last of the shirt was peeled from his skin. Large wounds stung as the cool air hit them. Worse was the sound of Gion inhaling, barely keeping in check a hiss of sympathy.

"Ok, that's it. Go clean yourself off. If you need help just holler. I'm gonna toss these and get some bandages for you from the back."

Kanou grunted. Standing carefully, he almost buckled under the pain that shot through his back. Resisting the urge to look over his shoulder and see the damage, he limped with dignity to the door on the opposite side of the room. Gion watched him go, blue eyes suddenly somber as they stared at the wounds he had uncovered on his friend's back: two large, gaping, bloody holes between his shoulder blades, where just yesterday beautiful, large, black wings had once sprouted. His gut clenched and Gion turned away, fighting back the wave of sorrow and disgust that filled him. This was the ultimate price of banishment- more than the loss of status and inability to ever return to the Underworld, the price of having your wings physically torn from your body in a display of violence before the entire demon population was the most traumatic price to pay.

Yet, Kanou seemed to be holding up well- more than any other demon Gion knew of that had undergone the ceremony. He knew the demon was tough, but the pain he must be feeling hardly showed at all. In fact, he almost seemed lightened. Gion wondered why, before calling out to his friend.

"What's your angel's name?"

Kanou stopped at the door to the bathroom. For a moment, his dark, pained eyes softened as they cast down to trace over the bandage tied around his arm.

"His name is Ayase."

()

 _Four years later_

"Where is he?!"

Every head in the building turned in sync to the snarling demon that had slammed open the doors to Gion Toranosuke's business building. A few demons scoffed; after all, it was only Kanou Somuku, the banished demon. Others, however, averted their eyes along with the human occupants, trying to escape his notice.

Kanou growled as he strode into the building, ignoring the complaint from the doorman, whom he had pushed aside so he could fling the doors open. Before he could reach the receptionists desk, a demon in a black tux approached him.

"Mr. Somuku."

Kanou turned to survey him. He didn't know this one by name, but he relaxed slightly upon recognizing him as one of Gion's personal workers.

"We have what you've come for. Mr. Toranosuke had us bring it downstairs for you."

Kanou turned around, immediately heading for the elevator. "Bring me to him."

As the other demon hustled to keep up with him, Kanou focused on leveling his breathing. He was tense, too anxious for what was about to happen. He'd forced himself to put the awaiting encounter out of his mind for the past seven hours, but it had been pressing on him nonetheless. No amount of work could keep his mind from straying. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

It was a short and silent ride down to one of the lower floors. They didn't go all the way down to the basement, just far enough that there would be silence from the floors overhead. By the time the box came to a halt and the silver doors began to slide open, Kanou had calmed his heart rate to a more normal pace. Nevertheless, he still pushed forward as soon as the doors made an opening big enough for him to squeeze through while keeping his dignity. At the landing, he hesitated a moment, unsure of which way to go. His companion strode past him and motioned with his hand to the hallway on the right.

"This way, sir."

With every step down the hall, Kanou's heart seemed to thump louder. Finally, they stopped at the end of the hall outside a door that had a small rectangular window set into the wood at eye height. As soon as he looked inside, a growl grew inside his throat. Gion stood inside just beside the door, while two other demons stood guard over a third- an angel with bedraggled wings- sitting in a chair at the room's center.

Eyes locked on the prize within, Kanou turned the knob and stepped inside. The blond head of the sitting angel lifted, revealing scowling, bloodshot eyes.

" _Tetsuo_." The name of the angel spat from Kanou's lips as he prowled forward. Gion turned his head, acknowledging his arrival, and closed the door as Kanou circled his scowling prey. Now that he was here and staring at the angel who had caused Ayase and him so much trouble, he could hardly keep his anger in check. It was bubbling up within him: the urge to rip the forsaken angel's head off and be done with it.

"Black wings," Kanou mused softly as the two demons who had been guarding the angel retreated to stand back with Gion. "You're a traitor to your own kind and maker."

Testuo grinned at Kanou's observation, but his darkened wings fluttered anxiously behind him. Black marks tinged the dull white appendages, a tell tale sign that he had been disowned for turning his back on his creator, and the aura surrounding his body was incredibly dimmed. He looked exhausted, his hair greasy as if he hasn't been bathing properly.

"My wings might be going, demon," Tetsuo hissed, "but at least I still have them."

A laugh broke the tense air behind them. Kanou growled, his anger growing, but before he could wrap his hand around the infuriating angel's throat, a hand gripped his shoulder from behind.

"This little angel just doesn't know when to quit," Gion said with a smirk as he pulled his friend back. "You'd think, given his position, he would know not to make such stupid- if not clever- remarks."

"Gion," Kanou growled warningly.

"Hey, it was funny because it's true, Kanou," Gion chuckled.

"Enough." Kanou returned his glare to the leering angel. "If I were you, _angel_ , I wouldn't be playing games right now. You're in no position to be taunting demons. Now, tell me, traitor, what were you doing talking to Ayase this morning?"

" _Hmph_ , and why should I tell you?" the angel sneered. He grinned up at Kanou, eyes gleaming wickedly. "According to the stories I've heard, you're a traitor to your own kind as well."

"Oh I assure you, what I've done is far worse than you could ever imagine," Kanou said lowly. Placing his hands on the arms of the chair, he leaned forward so his face was right in front of the bound angel's. Tetsuo pulled back, his resolve failing him with the demon suddenly so close. Kanou's breath brushed his face; he couldn't look away from those mesmerizing dragon eyes, dark eyes that swallowed him whole, promising pain.

"And if you don't answer me-" Kanou reached out with one finger and gently touched the shaking angel's cheek, so tenderly that Tetsuo jumped- " you'll get to see just a little of what I'm capable of. Test me further, and I guarantee you'll wish you were in the hands of the angel guard who are looking for you and not chained down here with me."

"I-" Tetsuo coughed, his voice squeaking, "I wasn't doing anything, I swear."

Kanou growled, his aura spilling out as his impatience flared. The angel squealed as the dark energy flared around him.

"You were talking to Ayase this morning in my lobby."

"I wasn't-"

Kanou's hand shot out, wrapping around the angel's throat.

"Kanou!"

Ignoring Gion's warning, Kanou squeezed a little harder. Tetsuo flailed under his grip, tears pricking at his beady little eyes. His bound hands behind the chair's back thrashed against the wood as he fought for air against the demon's hold. Grinning, Kanou couldn't deny the surge of pleasure the angel's misery brought him.

"Try again," he growled, shoving Tetsuo back so hard the chair went on its hind legs; Tetsuo's screeches filled the small room as he desperately flung his bound body forward, bringing the chair firmly back to the ground. Coughing and heaving for air, it was obvious how very real the situation was becoming to the previously haughty angel as his small eyes darted around the room, searching for escape.

"Look," he coughed, "look, I- I just wanted to see him, okay?" He coughed again, the air catching in his throat when Kanou leaned down to look at him at eye level again; the demon could feel the fear spiking through the tired angel's body as though it ran in his blood.

"That's all, is it?" Tetsuo nodded vigorously. Kanou's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you."

Tetsuo's mouth dropped open.

"I think you're lying, angel," Kanou repeated, "and you're going to give me a different answer right now. The truth."

The angel's face was incredulous; Kanou wanted to rip it off and beat the angel's dead body to a pulp for daring to play games with him. He could see the fear taking hold of him; the shaking of his tethered wings, the slump of his back, the shivers and goosebumps running down his exposed skin. Surely his sense of self preservation should be kicking in now that Kanou had made it very clear the danger he was in for not telling the truth. A warrior angel, such as Ayase's father, might have been a harder subject to extract the truth from, but this weakling- this coward who had sold his own family for a profit to their enemy- would have no qualms about squealing if it meant he would escape with his life in the end. So why was he stalling? Something had to be wrong; the truth must be worse than what the demon wanted to hear.

Tetsuo gasped suddenly, his body shaking, pulling Kanou from his musings in time to realize that his infuriated state had caused his demonic aura to coil around the injured angel, suffocating him. Stifling a growl, he put a stopper on his aura and released the angel just enough so that he could breathe.

"Spill it, angel, what are you hiding?"

"I don't know anything!" Tetsuo's voice was shrill, desperate. Kanou sighed.

"You were with Ayase for a full 93 seconds, ranting and raving in my lobby. Were you trying to get him to leave with you? To take what is mine?"

"No! I wasn't- I wouldn't-"

"Come on, Tetsuo, just tell me the truth. You were trying to get him back to your side; to make it out like you were the victim, weren't you."

"No, I swear to you, I just wanted to talk to him."

"You just wanted to talk to him, huh? Talk to the last angel on earth who thought you might still have some good in you? Well now he knows what you really are: a traitor, someone he trusted who then betrayed him, who sold him and all the other angels out and left him to be captured by demons. You can't even return to heaven in your sorry state. You're done for, Tetsuo, who are you trying to protect by lying?"

Silence. The angel was fuming, shaking with some unknown emotion. Kanou smiled.

"You wanted him to go with you. That's the truth. You have nothing left; the least you could do is bribe a small, innocent angel to your side, and then do what you do best: betray him, sell him for some profit to get yourself out of this town."

"No! I didn't want to betray him I wanted to help him!"

The shock that ran through Kanou's body quickly dissipated into smugness. "Oh really? And how could a fallen angel ever hope to help someone else?"

Testuo visibly bristled, angry that he'd caved.

"Aww, come on now, don't bottle up on me, you were finally starting to shift into being on my good side. How were you going to help him, Tetsuo?"

The angel was silent. Sweat dripped down his face. Kanou waited, knowing that the angel had already given up and was trying to decide his next move.

"If I tell you," Tetsuo finally said slowly, "I want your word that you'll let me go. I'll tell you what you want to know, but I want you to let me go free in exchange."

Kanou grinned; a large, menacing smile that had Tetsuo shrinking back. "I promise."

"You better keep it!" Tetsuo shrieked. "You promise!"

"Yes, yes, I promise to let you go when we are through with our discussion. Now, spill it, angel. How were you going to help Ayase?"

Tetsuo hesitated. He was breathing hard, panting with each drop of sweat that beaded on his grimy forehead.

"The angels," he whispered.

Kanou leaned forward, frowning. _The angels?_

Taking a deep breath, Tetsuo continued softly, as though he were exposing a secret, "I heard a rumor that the angels are coming back to this town."

Kanou stiffened. Behind him, the three other demons in the room shifted, suddenly on edge with this new information.

"They're coming back," Kanou reiterated slowly.

"It's just a rumor I heard on the streets. There's a rustling in the heavens; something is happening up there. And I thought, hey, if the angels are going to come back soon, I could take Ayase away from you and help him heal his wings. Then, we could meet the angels together, my status would be restored, and we could all return to heaven."

"Wait, stop a minute there, angel." Kanou didn't know what to think. The angels returning to take the city was something every demon knew would happen eventually, but he hadn't thought it would be so soon. However, that important bit of information was pushed to the back of his mind as three little words echoed over everything else: _heal his wings_. Tetsuo couldn't possibly mean what Kanou thought he was implying. It just wasn't possible.

"What did you mean when you said you would take Ayase from me and help his wings heal? They've been deformed from the start; he can't fly- never has been able to and never will."

Tetsuo laughed, and suddenly it felt as though the air had been punched from his chest.

"Ayase is an angel," Tetsuo stated, as if he thought Kanou had somehow forgotten. "Deformed or not, if God wills him to fly, he will. His wings looked pretty strong when I saw him earlier today- I bet they're healing exponentially since they've been mistreated all those months ago."

"Mistreated because of you." Kanou's head was in a whirl. Was it possible that injuring Ayase's wings had been the catalyst needed to help them heal fully? Was God's influence still so strong in this town, even without the angels, that He could reach the small angel and extend His hand to help those precious wings grow even stronger while they recovered?

"Everything that has happened to Ayase happened because of you," Kanou snarled. If Ayase had never been mistreated during the demons revolution, he never would have required extra care and healing. His wings might have stayed the way they were- pure white, small and malformed, but beautiful nonetheless.

"I didn't think he would run away from the compound when all the fighting started-"

"No, stop talking!" Kanou shouted. "You betrayed the angels and led the demons to their grounds. You are the one who betrayed your own kind. You knew Ayase wouldn't be able to escape unharmed, and yet you put him in that danger anyway."

Disgusted, Kanou turned away. He needed to get away from here, to think. Ayase was in danger. They were coming for him, surely, but more than that he was in danger of something closer to home. If his wings truly were strengthening, if Ayase could fly one day… Kanou didn't even want to think about what would happen.

"Hey, wait! Our deal! You promised to let me go!"

Kanou stopped. Locking angry eyes with Gion, he tightened his fists and nodded. Gion nodded back, smirking as he signaled his guards with one hand.

"Oh, I'm keeping my promise, _angel_. I'm letting you go… into the custody of Gion Toranosuke. He can do whatever he wants with you. And I never want to see your face again."

"WHAT!?"

"And if you ever come near Ayase again," Kanou continued, raising his voice over Tetsuo's protests behind him, "I'll let you see just what sort of demon I really am, and I'll make sure you regret it."

Without looking back, Kanou headed for the door. Gion opened it for him, bowing slightly. Ignoring the smile on his friend's face, Kanou strode through it and headed for the elevator.

"Hey now, that wasn't so bad, Kanou," Gion called out to him. The younger demon was at his side instantly. "At least you know Tetsuo can't get anywhere near your angel now."

"Gion." Kanou stopped and looked his eager friend in the face. "It's been three months since the angels were driven from this town because of what that stupid angel did. Because of him, Ayase was hurt." He trailed off, remembering how frightened his little bird had been once Kanou had finally gotten his hands on him. Deep down, he knew it wasn't only Tetsuo's fault- it was his fault as well.

For four years he had kept watch over the little angel with the twisted wings. When he was alerted that Tetsuo, Ayase's wayward cousin, had gone to the demon council seeking to sell out his angel family in exchange for demonic power and clemency, Kanou had thought he would finally be able to put his plan of intervention into action. But, he had been too late. The demons had attacked ahead of schedule, and Ayase had been lost to him.

He hadn't been able to save the angel from the demon attack like he had planned; and every day Kanou beat himself up about that fact. He had been too late to swoop in as a shining knight. Ayase had run during the attack and been cornered in a section of Shinjuku highly populated by demons looking for fun. By the time Eishou had alerted him to the boy's location, Ayase had already been cornered by a gang of demons working under Hayashida, a demon who ran a lofty business selling humans for pleasure to both demons and rich humans alike. They had beaten him, degraded him in ways that had nearly broken the little angel's spirit- and then put him on auction for the demons of the city.

It was there that Kanou had managed to buy him. But it was too late for praise. Ayase had been damaged- irreparably. And Kanou had only made it worse. When Ayase reacted to his presence with personal fear and panic for his cousin's safety, the hopes he had spent the previous four years building had come crashing down. He had lashed out, pinning the angel down and forcing him to recognize his new fate.

It was a moment that- to this day- Kanou deeply regretted.

As a demon, Ayase's suffering should have been extremely pleasurable for him, but it had only caused him pain and confusion. He hadn't known how to treat the little angel- everything in him rebelled at the idea of being gentle, but whenever he saw the look of fear on his boy's face- it was enough to make him sick.

"I've been trying so hard to earn his trust again," Kanou whispered. The blood was pounding in his ears. If what Tetsuo said was true, he didn't just have to worry about the angels coming back to take Ayase away from him- he had reason to fear Ayase himself. "But what if the damage has been too much? If Tetsuo is telling the truth, then Ayase will have the ability to fly once his wings completely heal. And I can't allow that to happen."

"From what I hear the two of you are becoming a regular pair of peas in a pod, Kanou," Gion reassured him gently. The blond demon had yet to be introduced to the angel, but word of Kanou's affairs with the mysterious blond young man had quickly spread throughout not only Kanou's business but all of the underground marketplaces. Even if he hadn't been friends with the black-haired demon, there was no doubt that Kanou's relationship with the angel would have reached Gion eventually. "I doubt that bird would attempt to fly away from you someday. He knows what you're capable of, and he knows that you'd come after him."

Kanou grunted. It was true. Ayase had stopped avoiding him out of fear and now greeted him when he came home from work. The boy's face, always so light and optimistic, held little trace of the shadows that had clung to him the first two months of their time together. The fact that his body was slowly healing was a great contributor to his improved mood, but Kanou liked to think that the angel was growing fond of him as well. True, they had taken the long road to becoming familiar with each other, but at least now Kanou could look forward to his angel shyly seeking out his presence instead of silently avoiding him like the plague.

"I need to go home." He needed to see his bird, to touch that smooth skin and be reminded that Ayase was still there, still beside him.

"What do you want me to do with that gift you've so kindly provided me with?"

Kanou hesitated. Ayase would never know that he had confronted his wayward cousin tonight. The little angel had been in a panic when Kanou came down to meet him in the lobby for lunch earlier today. When Kanou caught sight of the marked angel waving wildly in Ayase's face, ranting incoherently, he'd immediately raced forward, determined to rip the traitor's head off for daring to come into his building and fraternize with Ayase; but before Kanou had been able to reach them, Ayase had already pushed the other angel away. The rage in Kanou's belly couldn't be quelled though, even when Ayase assured him that nothing had happened. As soon as they finished lunch and the angel had been dropped off at the penthouse, Kanou had called Gion and asked him to send out some scouts to search for the wayward angel.

Now, the two angels would never meet again- and he was glad of it. "Do whatever you want. Just make sure he never comes near Ayase or me ever again."

"Oh ho, I can promise that." Gion's demonic energy flared giddily behind him, and as Kanou reached the elevators, he knew for certain that the angel Tetsuo was going to regret ever choosing to sell out his cousin and family.

()

Over the course of the next week, Kanou watched Ayase carefully. The boy was healing, slowly but surely. With Tetsuo's words of foreboding weighing heavily on his mind, Kanou knew that he needed to ensure Ayase never had the opportunity to fly once his wings fully recovered. He'd been overly cautious when Ayase was first taken into his household: the elevator was locked and monitored so Ayase couldn't use it on his own, and all windows were installed so they couldn't open all the way. When Ayase left the penthouse, he was always accompanied by one of the Kuba twins- the only humans Kanou really trusted, aside from the strange okama, Someya, who had somehow wormed his way into Kanou's good graces. Those restrictions, now more than ever, helped Kanou breathe easier whenever he left the angel alone.

Even with those precautions in place, though, Kanou couldn't help the feeling of unease that overcame him whenever he saw Ayase's wings. Right now they were kept bandaged against his back, but recently, since Ayase had begun feeling stronger, the angel had taken to unwrapping them at night and stretching the muscles. Watching him smooth the soft feathers out only made the worry in the pit of Kanou's stomach grow.

()

"Come sit with me, Ayase." Kanou patted the couch seat next to him. He'd lit candles in the living room after dinner, and now the warm glow from the flames flickered through the darkness in the penthouse. The tv was on, broadcasting the news in a low volume.

Ayase giggled and clambered up next to him. The angel was still holding a half-filled wineglass. Ignoring the way the dark liquid splashed dangerously up the sides of the cup, Kanou relished in the warm feeling that surged through his chest as Ayase tucked his feet under himself and leaned against his side. True, the angel was a bit tipsy, but he wasn't drunk: he was clear headed enough to know exactly who he was choosing to cuddle up to.

"That was some good pasta you cooked up, Ayase," Kanou murmured, leaning over to nuzzle his nose in Ayase's hair.

"Mmmmm, thanks," Ayase hummed contentedly. "I made the dough from scratch while you were at work. It took me all day!"

"Mmm, yes I know. You were covered in flour when I walked in the door," Kanou chuckled. Ayase giggled, the shaking of his body vibrating against Kanou's arm. He smiled. "It was quite a cute sight."

Ayase laughed again before taking a sip from his glass. Watching how carefree his boy was, Kanou was once again glad he'd restocked his collection of wine after Ayase moved in: the little angel liked to drink, and when he got tipsy he became much more… receptive.

"Next time I make pasta I want to try tortellini," Ayase stated abruptly.

"Isn't that what we had tonight?"

"No, silly! Those were raviolis." Ayase hiccupped suddenly and then started laughing. He set his glass down on the side table and grabbed the pillow behind him, holding it in front of his stomach as he held his breath. Kanou watched him, intrigued. When he could no longer hold it, Ayase released the breath he'd been holding and sucked in fresh air.

"Better?" Kanou asked with a grin.

"Not sure yet." They both waited, and when Ayase didn't hiccup again they both burst out into laughter.

"Good thing they stopped on their own or I would have tried scaring you," Kanou teased.

"Hmph, you couldn't scare me, Kanou," Ayase declared matter-of-factly. He pushed his pillow against the arm of the sofa and maneuvered so his head was lying against it.

"Oh really, are you sure?"

"Yup, you couldn't scare me even if you tried." Ayase's eyes slipped closed, a smile on his face.

Kanou was silent. He knew Ayase's words weren't true. He had once, not that long ago even, been a major source of fear for the young angel. His very presence used to make the angel draw away and hide inside an emotional shell. Ayase used to shake with fear every time Kanou came close to him; every time he touched him. Those tremors seemed like they would never go away. It had taken so long for Kanou to learn how to let go, to step back and give Ayase the space he needed to breathe and recover, to pick up the pieces of himself that had been shattered, not only by the gang of wayward demons, but by Kanou himself.

How far they had come in such a short amount of time. Almost four months had gone by now, each day long and drawn out, each a battle between two wills trying to learn how to live with the other. Kanou knew, without a doubt, that Ayase had forgiven him for what had happened at the beginning of their relationship. The trust between them, though fragile, was growing stronger each day.

Ayase shifted on his pillow, eyes opening to catch a cat commercial that had caught his attention with its catchy tune. Looking down on him, Kanou's eyes were drawn to Ayase's back where his small disfigured wings were carefully bandaged. They fidgeted suddenly, as though aware of the demon eyes that narrowed the longer he looked at them.

He trusted Ayase. He truly did. But those wings- they were the one thing that continued to concern him in their relationship. Before he knew what he was doing, his hand had reached out to touch the bandage on the right appendage. Ayase jumped, tearing doe eyes away from the tv screen to stare at Kanou.

"What?" the angel asked warily.

"Shh, it's nothing," Kanou whispered reassuringly. "I just wanted to touch your wings. May I?"

Surprise filled the angel's face. Heat crept up Kanou's neck. He didn't normally ask for things. He was a demon; he just did whatever he wanted. But Ayase- he needed to be gentle.

Slowly, Ayase nodded, the tension leaving his stiff shoulders as he lay his head back down.

Heart thumping, Kanou slowly traced the outline of the bandaged wing. When Ayase hummed in sleepy approval, he boldly lifted the wing up and surveyed the small knot keeping the bandage closed underneath. Carefully, he untied it and began to unravel the cloth. The crumpled wing drooped as it was released from its confines, the feathers splaying out in every direction. It twitched every now and then, but a glance at Ayase's peaceful face every time reassured him that the tremors must be involuntary. Once the wing was completely freed, Kanou shifted in his seat, turning so he could take it in both of his hands.

It was small.

The top ridge of the wing extended out in a straight line before curving in on itself. Turning it into the glow of the candle, Kanou ran his hand over the shiny ridge. Upon closer inspection, he had to admit that the traitor angel had been right: Tetsuo had claimed that Ayase's wings appeared stronger than before. Kanou had met Ayase before the raid, had once seen the curve of those wings in darkened light before: seeing them now, he knew that they were healing well beyond the norm, and were definitely straighter than they had been.

Still, that didn't mean they would heal all the way. There was no way without God's help that Ayase would be able to gain the gift of flight on the stunted wings he had now. And with the angels gone from the city and Ayase's faith in God diluted, Kanou knew without a fact that the angel would never be able to fly.

Still…

His hand stroked up the wing, massaging out the muscle just as he had seen Ayase do multiple times before. How could Ayase care so much for his wings when the boy knew he would never be able to use them in flight? What was the purpose? Had there perhaps been a time in his life when he had been able to fly?

"Ayase," the demon murmured slowly.

"Hmm?" The angel didn't even open his eyes, too content to lie where he was, enjoying the massage.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mm Hmm."

He needed to be gentle. If he poked too much it might open old wounds for the angel. "Why… are your wings… so small for your age? Why do they bend like this?"

To his surprise, Ayase smiled. "Because I'm special."

Kanou cocked his head. What did the boy mean by that?

"Mom and Dad used to tell me," Ayase continued softly when Kanou didn't say anything in response, "that I was a lucky angel. Unlike everyone else at the compound, I was born on Earth."

Kanou inhaled sharply. Born on Earth? That was unthinkable. Otherworldly beings didn't belong on Earth; mankind had already claimed it for themselves and turned the land into a place that was difficult for ethereal creatures to survive in unless they were strong enough. A newborn angel would have held no chance.

"Mankind's pollution," Kanou whispered softly.

"Yes. Mom and Dad said God had decreed them to stay on Earth when Mom found out she was pregnant with me while they were on their mission here. I wasn't allowed to be taken into Heaven away from them. Mom said the sins of men and the pollution of the Earth is what made my body so weak growing up."

"Why?" Kanou's heart ached. It was too unfair: to have exiled a baby angel to the harshness of Earth's depravities just because his parents were still on a mission? Kanou wanted to laugh, or cry. Anger at the unjustness done to his angel flowed through his veins. "They couldn't have known you would even survive being raised here from infancy. Why would God abandon you here, knowing that the weight of this world would crush you?"

"I already told you, Kanou," Ayase said lightly, opening his eyes to place a small hand on the demon's thigh. Kanou stilled, the tension already melting from his body with that one touch. "I'm special. God said I would have a special role to play on Earth. He didn't abandon me; He gave me a compound full of angel brothers and sisters. I had my parents, my cousin and friends."

"He condemned your body to death the moment he forbade you from being returned to Heaven as a baby, Ayase." His heart hurt. His poor angel was so blind to the truth: he had been abandoned long ago and didn't even realize it. "That's why your wings are so small…" he stopped, unable to continue, to say that the boy's beautiful wings were malformed.

"My wings may not be fully formed, and I'm a lot weaker than all the other angels physically- but I survived. Doesn't that tell you just how strong I am?"

Kanou lifted his eyes up, meeting the warmly stubborn blue eyes of his angel. His precious Ayase. Those eyes burned with a quiet strength. He had been through so much since such a young age, and never had he given up hope. He was the most compassionate and humble being Kanou knew. Warmth flooded through the demon's body again. He was so grateful to have gotten to know such a gentle and loving creature.

Turning his attention back to Ayase's exposed wing, Kanou resumed his massaging of the tight muscles. "Have you ever been able to fly, Ayase?"

"No."

Kanou stilled, his nerves tightening at the wistfulness in that one word. Forcing himself to keep massaging, Kanou kept his head low to keep from looking at Ayase's face. That was all the answer he had needed. Ayase never had the ability to fly, but it was clear as day that if given the chance he would gladly take to the skies.

"I guess that's something we have in common, Kanou."

The demon's head shot up. Ayase was smiling, but he knew that beyond that glowing face was a heart that was broken just like his. "A demon without wings and an angel with broken ones: we make a perfect pair, don't you think?"

"Actually-" Kanou stopped. He didn't want Ayase to know. All the boy knew was that he had been banished from the underworld; that his wings had been brutally ripped from him was not a burden he wanted to place on Ayase's shoulders as well. The poor kid had enough damage on his plate already. And if it made the blond happy to think that they were the same, who was he to take that feeling away if it gave the angel a sense of peace?

"I guess you're right, Ayase. Good thing I have you around to keep me company on the ground."

Ayase laughed slightly, turning so he could lay his head back down as Kanou resumed petting his wing. "I'm glad you found me, Kanou," he whispered sleepily.

Kanou smiled. "I am too, Ayase. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again."

Ayase was silent a moment. Kanou could tell he was thinking, deciding whether or not to say something. Instead of prompting, he focused on stretching Ayase's feathers out, relieving the muscles in the wing that had become cramped from being bound all day.

"I know you think I'm going to try to run away from you."

Those soft words sent a shock through the demon's system. That wasn't what he'd thought the angel had been mulling over. "What?"

"You never let me go anywhere alone. And you put locks on all the windows. It's pretty obvious you think I'm going to try to run away."

What could he say to defend himself? Ayase was right, but he couldn't let him know that.

"Well I'm not going to. I couldn't get away even if I tried to, Kanou; I know you would come after me. You don't have to be so paranoid. You can give me a little more freedom: I wouldn't betray you. You've already shown me that you're a good demon underneath all that gruff. You're my savior."

All his words were stuck in his throat; he almost couldn't breathe.

"You rescued me when I needed help, and you've given me a place I can call home."

"What are you saying, Ayase?" Kanou's voice almost cracked. Excitement was coursing through his veins, setting him on edge.

"I'm saying, I know you think that I'm going to try to escape from you one day, but I won't. The angels are gone. You're my home now, Kanou."

"Are you- are you telling me the truth right now, Ayase?" It was almost too good to be true.

"I promise I won't run away. I just want a little more room to breathe."

His insides were leaping. It was as if, with those soft simple words, Ayase had taken all his fears and swept them under a rug. Ayase thought of him as his home! He wanted to leap in the air and scream his victory to the heavens.

Kanou released the wing in his hand and moved so his body was over Ayase's. He bent and kissed the sleepy angel on the cheek, forcing blue eyes to open and match his.

"Ayase," he whispered, "you really won't ever leave me?"

Ayase's face broke out in the purest smile, and immediately Kanou swooped down and kissed his sweet lips.

"I promise, Kanou," Ayase giggled, attempting to push the demon back. Kanou hummed low in the back of his throat, refusing to be moved. He moved his hands up, slipping one beneath the angel's shirt. Ayase moaned, his face flushing, driving the demon crazy.

"You've just sealed your fate, little angel," Kanou growled deeply as he planted kisses on Ayase's face, coming back around to kiss the boy deeply on the lips. Ayase wriggled beneath him, the small body bucking as it reached up to grind against Kanou's belly. He was so happy; Ayase's words had put at ease all the fears that had been eating away at him over the past months. True, the boy was intoxicated and might not remember any of what he had just said, but what mattered was that Ayase had thought to say anything at all.

They had hope.

Mindful to be careful of his wings, Kanou picked up the angel and carried him to their room. They had a long night ahead, and Kanou was going to savor every moment of it.

()

 _To be continued.._


	2. Chapter 2

()

The day Ayase took his bandages off for the last time, Kanou felt the worry seep slowly back into his bones. For weeks he had felt lighter than ever: invigorated by the night of intimacy he had shared with Ayase, Tetsuo's warning words were pushed to the back of his mind. Covered in white linen, he had managed to forget about the threat Ayase's wings posed to him; now that they were out in the open though, bobbing behind Ayase's back wherever the little angel went, it was hard to ignore them. They seemed to mock him, fluttering slightly whenever the angel moved.

As the days passed and Ayase's exercises strengthened the healing wings, a dark obsession to control the angel began to take over Kanou's being. Ayase's sweet promises echoed in the back of his mind, reminding him of the love they were starting to grow for each other; with that love came a certain amount of trust, but Kanou's own sense of foreboding was beginning to overshadow the little trust they had managed to build.

"He showed me his wings today, Gion." Kanou shifted his cell phone closer to his ear as he peeked around the corner of the hall, spying as Ayase ran around the kitchen cooking dinner.

"Whoopie."

"They're healed. Completely healed. He stood before me, came running to the door when I got home, spun around and opened the damn things in my face. They don't hurt him anymore, Gion."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Do you not remember anything I talk to you about?" Kanou growled, wincing when Ayase slipped on a towel that had fallen from the oven rack. Before he could move from his hiding spot, the angel had already righted himself, laughing as he tossed the cloth into the sink out of harm's way. A smile tugged at Kanou's lips.

"Of course I do. Geez, Kanou, you're so hurtful today."

"Gion-"

The demon on the other side of the line sighed loudly. "You're worried that his wings healing so completely is a sign that the traitor angel was right."

"He's getting stronger." Ayase was at the stove now, stirring something in a large pot. Kanou turned away, feeling his chest clench tightly. "And his wings are straighter than they were before the attack."

"That could be due to being bandaged for several months."

"He exercises them at night."

"Doesn't prove anything."

"I want him to stop."

"Why?"

"Because when he stretches them out like that he looks like he wants to leap out the damn window and fly away!" Kanou slumped down on his bed. Ayase's new sense of freedom should have been something for the both to them to rejoice at, but every time Ayase began his exercises, Kanou felt compelled to leave the room.

"You know he can't do that-"

"But it's possible! His wings have already healed more than the damage done by the demons. They're stronger. Sooner or later, he's going to want to test them, to see if maybe they really are stronger; enough that he can fly."

"You worry too much."

Kanou was silent for a moment.

"I had wings once," he said softly. "I know the feeling they give you: the feeling of being free and powerful. Ayase won't ever feel the need to stay by my side if he doesn't feel the same way as me."

"What, trapped and hopeless?"

The words made Kanou pause. Ayase's face when he had gotten home, so happy and carefree, flashed before him- but that joy had come from the knowledge that his wings were whole again, not because of Kanou. "I don't want him to even think about flight. It shouldn't even cross his mind, because flying takes him away from me, and I own him! He doesn't belong anywhere that I can't go."

Gion was silent on the other end.

"I know how much Ayase is excited to be healed. I'm glad he's not in pain anymore, but…" Kanou trailed off. He could hear Ayase's small feet running around on the linoleum in the kitchen. The fresh excitement in his angel was endearing; he wanted to scoop that wriggling blond body into his arms and celebrate with him, but he just couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. "Something is wrong, Gion. I should be happy for him; this is all Ayase has ever wanted. But he doesn't know the truth, and I don't know what I'll do if he ever learns it."

"You really think he would try to fly away from you, Kanou? That angel knows how strong you are. He has nowhere to go, no friends left in the city."

"None of that matters. If he ever gains the ability to fly he won't care that he has nowhere to go. I've warned him against flying, but I've seen that look in his eyes. It's the one thing he wishes he could do."

"Kanou, you and I have been talking about this problem ever since you first acquired your little bird. This isn't something that's just gonna go away. Have you even talked to him about it?"

The memory of their candle-lit talk two weeks ago sprung to Kanou's mind. Ayase knew about his fears, had even tried to soothe them.

"He promised he wouldn't run away from me," he said quietly, smiling at the memory.

"There, you see? Stop worrying so much, it just makes you look older than you actually are."

Kanou sighed.

"And if you can't stop worrying then just do something about it already. Be the demon I know you still are underneath all that lovey-dovey crap: Teach that angel a lesson, show him who the real boss is."

"You aren't helpful at all, Gion."

"Lock him up in your room; torture him sexually all night long until his body craves no one but you."

"I'm hanging up on you now."

"Awww, so hurtful, Kanou. Are you still coming over for coffee-"

Kanou hung up before his friend could finish. His head hurt. Gion meant well, but his friend's advice was often more playful than constructive. Just as he slipped the phone back into his pocket, Ayase's voice rang out down the hall, calling him for dinner.

As he headed down the hall and into the warmth of the living area where the fragrance of Ayase's home cooked meal had permeated every inch of the room, Kanou tried to shake off his worries and just bask in the glow of his angel's happiness. He would rest everything on the word of his lover, and the promise that they had made weeks ago.

()

"No! Please, please! Give me more time, I swear I'll find the money-"

"Kuba, get him out of here."

"Please! Don't do this!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kanou fought back the headache waging war on his cranium. A foul smell overran the dingy apartment they had broken into to find a human who had attempted to run after borrowing thousands of dollars. It was annoying that the pathetically screaming human currently being dragged outside by his underlings had forced him to leave his office to hunt him down. It was more than annoying.

The week had been less than pleasant, and it wasn't even halfway through yet. More than the usual number of his clients were behind on their payments, and several had recently run in an attempt to outmaneuver him and get out of their debt. It wasn't wise to run from a demon though- you would never get far, and the consequences were only magnified tenfold. That, and it made one Kanou Somuku very, very cranky.

On top of work, though, his most recent encounter with Gion was eating at him. It would seem that the rumours about the angels making an attempt to reinfiltrate the city they had lost in battle so many months ago was coming true. Gion had called him earlier that day to warn him that he had heard from his demon employees that angels had been sighted in the city limits.

" _You had better watch out, Kanou. Those angels aren't here just to scout so they can retake the city from the underworld. Their behavior is odd- something's up. You better keep a close eye on your little bird if you don't want him catching sight of them."_

Gion's words had set in motion a cascading wave of unease and a newfound possessiveness over the angel currently idling in his apartment. The urge to go home and take the angel in a frenzy of passion, to make his mark on the one that was now clearly in danger, was overwhelming- but there was much work to be done, and before he could see his lover, Kanou knew he had to wrap up loose ends at work before they followed him home.

"We're ready to go, Boss."

Homare was at his side, handing him a dark briefcase filled with notes from the day. Kanou sighed as he took it, lifting his head to glance one last time around the rundown apartment. The peeling paint, mound of garbage and stench of homelessness assaulted him; how must that man have felt to live here, fearing for his life? It had been pointless to run- had only made things much harder for him.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Kanou turned. He wanted to go home and bury his face in the fresh and comforting curve of Ayase's pale neck.

Stepping across the apartment's threshold into the crisp sunlit day, Kanou paused. There was a tremor in the air, one he recognized only too well.

"Leave," he ordered curtly. The Kuba twins stared at him, cocking their heads in unison.

"Sir?" one of them ventured carefully. "What are you-"

"I'm telling you two to leave and go back to the office." As he spoke, Kanou let his demonic aura roll off his body in powerful, crushing waves. The Kuba twins- though human and unable to see the roiling manifestation of their boss' power- nevertheless could feel it, and their human souls were crushed by the weight of Kanou's force. Homare was the first one to turn and stride as quickly as he dared to the idling vehicle, his brother Misao following closely on his heels. Kanou could feel the fear that had sprouted in their frail human hearts, the tension coiling around their bodies as their autonomic nervous system kicked into overdrive. He ignored it though, focusing instead on the flicker of concealed energy he had detected. As the car spun gravel and hastily made a retreat, the hidden auras grew still, as if attempting to conceal their presence from the annoyed demon.

Lifting his chin, Kanou growled out in a carrying voice, "Show yourselves. I know you're there, and we both know that neither of us is going to back away. You've asked for a confrontation by spilling your aura all over the place."

"We would never deign to run away from a challenge- especially since you are the one we have been seeking." The voice was accompanied by a sudden, and rather powerful, flare of brilliant aura. Kanou's nose wrinkled at the nauseatingly holy feel of the energy that rolled over him: The sensation was completely different from the pure energy that radiated from his own little angel.

Two angels stepped as if from thin air from the nearby patch of trees. Kanou's eyes narrowed; that they had chosen to make themselves invisible and keep watch on him from afar could only mean trouble. All otherworldly beings had the ability to mask their presence from the eyes of mortals, but to completely conceal themselves from both angel and demon eyes was something normally undertaken only during times of war.

Kanou felt his hackles rise as the angels stepped closer. One was clearly younger than the other, perhaps the age of Tetsuo, while the elder seemed to be much wiser. The swords at their sides glinted from scabbards in the light as their robes billowed behind them.

"What is the meaning of this, angel?" Kanou growled at the elder one as the two angels stopped a few yards from him. "Have you no honor? I realize that the angels no longer have control of this city, but to be so blatantly rude as to conceal yourself and watch a demon from afar… clearly God's warriors need to be retrained on etiquette."

A sniff of amusement broke from Kanou's nose as the younger of the angels turned an interesting shade of red and reached for his sword.

"And now you seek a fight when I have done nothing wrong. Perhaps the council should know that there are wayward angels wandering about the city."

"Spare us your theatrics, demon," the older of the two said in a calming voice as he gently placed a hand on the younger one's arm. "You know as well as we that the demon council has no reason to listen to you, and that you in turn have no desire to fraternize with them. Our presence here will not be disclosed to them by you. There is no cause for you to be so defensive as we are here for diplomatic reasons- reasons which involve you, Kanou Somuku."

"Oh? And what have a bunch of skulking angels got to do with me, might I ask?"

"We have reason to believe that you have claimed ownership over a certain angel, one with deformed wings who was lost during the raid of the city several months back."

Kanou's heart skipped a beat. He forced his lips into a snarl and glared at the angels before him. "An angel, huh? Deformed wings?" He shrugged, though his heart was pumping furiously. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"He's lying-"

"Hush, Isamu," the older angel snapped as the younger cut in angrily. Once Isamu folded his arms and resorted to glaring at Kanou, the elder angel sighed and returned to staring at the demon with forced patience.

"We have strong reason to believe that you are in fact the one who is holding our angel captive."

"Look, you must have me confused with another lucky demon. You see, I wasn't even a part of that raid. How could I possibly have come across such a rarity?"

"Ayase Yukiya. Son of Ichiei Yukiya and Matsuko Yukiya," Isamu cut in again. Kanou grinned at the anger blazing in the young angel's eyes, and the annoyance that flashed in the face of his apparent guardian. "We know you have him, you filthy, lying demon, and we want him back. Now!"

"Isamu! I told you to stay quiet-"

"Ayase, huh?" Kanou did laugh then, when both angels turned to regard him with surprise. "Ah, now I know who you're talking about. Ayase. MY Ayase, the angel with wings perfect as they are. The one who loves it when I caress his neck-"

"You foul- how dare you force such vulgarity onto him!"

"Isamu! That is enough!"

Kanou grinned, rather enjoying the hateful aura roiling off the younger angel in spastic waves. His young face was red, fists clenched as he fought to control his emotions. Interesting.

"Ayase seems to be not much younger than you, Isamu," he remarked casually, enjoying the way Isamu's ears reddened at being personally addressed. "Were you close, by any chance? Friends? Or, perhaps you were lovers before he was stolen from you to my own bed?"

"That is enough out of you, demon!" The elder angel roared, grabbing hold of Isamu's arm as the young angel let out a bellow and grabbed for his sword. "We are not here to fight; put away your sword, Isamu, or leave."

"This demon-" the young angel ground out, "this disgusting piece of unholy trash has tainted one of our own and now mocks us for it, and you want me to just let him be?" His hand shook on the hilt of his weapon, arm flexed beneath the palm of his elder. Kanou grinned. Such a livewire: if he weren't so concerned for Ayase's well being he would have been extremely amused by the display.

"We have a message to pass on, or have you already forgotten our mission?" The hard edge in the older angel's voice left no room for arguing.

Defiance shone in the young angel's eyes for a moment longer before he took a deep breath and removed his hand from his sword. Taking another breath, he stepped back, eyes moving from Kanou's to the ground. "I apologize, Daiki."

The elder angel sighed.

"As amusing as this has been, I really do have a schedule to keep," Kanou said, "so if you two will just excuse me, I'll be on my way and you can leave to go snoop elsewhere."

"You aren't going anywhere until we've said what we have to say, demon."

Kanou laughed. "Then get to it, angel. I have places to be, a little bird to make love to…"

Isamu let out a low growl, but Daiki ignored him and took a step forward. "Regardless of what you may believe, Ayase Yukiya does not belong to you. He is still a citizen of God's kingdom, and one day he will return to us."

"He's not leaving me anytime soon."

"God has granted that his wings be healed," Daiki interrupted loudly.

Kanou froze. The muscles of his back- which had so long ago been forcefully separated from his own wings- spasmed suddenly, as though recognizing that tantalizing word. Was it possible? Would God really give Ayase the ability to fly again; restore his wings to their full glory? Hearing those same words from the traitor angel, Tetsuo, was one thing, but these two in front of him were righteous messengers of God: they would only speak the truth. A sudden streak of jealousy flashed through his being and was gone so quickly he never noticed it at all. Instead, an incredible rage filled its place. His eyes darkened, aura beginning to roil around him.

"God never saw fit to heal his wings before," he snarled in a low, menacing tone. Isamu scowled at his words, but Kanou ignored him, eyes set on the elder angel who matched his venomous gaze with an expression that spoke the truth.

"Circumstances change," Daiki said softly, though his words carried through the charged air. "Ayase's wings will fly once they finish healing, and he _will_ be returned to us in Heaven. And there is nothing you can do to stop it. The angels will come for the city again, but before that time we will come for our own. Ayase will be returned to us, whether you like it or not. Save face, demon; show some dignity and return him to us of your own will."

"Dignity, hah!" Kanou's bark of laughter caused the younger angel to jump, though Daiki simply regarded him with concern. "I am a demon who was banished, angel; dignity holds no weight with me, especially concerning your kind. Ayase belongs to me, and I will fight to keep him with me, where he belongs. He's never returning to your side, not so long as there is breath in my body, and trust me when I say this: Ayase wouldn't choose to return with you cowards anyway. You abandoned him, left him to fend for himself in a city infested with warring demons, and then left him to his fate in a demonic auction. You should be glad that I got a hold of him; who knows what could have happened to our little bird."

"You dare accuse-"

"And one more thing, _angel_ ," Kanou shouted over the angel's indignation. "Ayase is a little tiny bird, a bird who has no faith left in his God because he's spent his whole life being disregarded by Him; God exiled him to grow up on Earth, forcing him into a fragile existence, and then abandoned him to a fate with the demons. So tell me this: why would he choose to go back to your side when he has me; the demon who rescued him when he was at his lowest, has kept him safe, given him shelter and security and care, a life he can be happy in. Why would he ever return to you?"

"Because a life with you is a life where he is caged, demon." Daiki's voice was sad and gentle, and it made goosebumps rise along the flesh of Kanou's arms. "You'll see. Ayase will have to choose once he's done healing, and he inevitably will choose us."

Before Kanou could think of a reply, Daiki raised his hand and Isamu stepped back, turning to walk down the road. The old angel and Kanou kept their gazes matched a moment longer before Daiki sighed and looked away, then turned to follow his young companion.

Watching them go, Kanou felt his fury rise to the surface. Suppressing the urge to bellow, he forced thoughts of sweet Ayase's smiling face into his mind. The angels were wrong. Ayase was content where he was; he would never choose to leave, to fly away. The boy had even promised him!

And yet the image of Ayase happily tending to his wings every night sprang unbidden to his mind. Ayase cared for them immensely, longed so much to touch the sky. What would happen when the little angel discovered he had the ability to fly- an ability he had yearned for his entire life. Was it possible he would choose them over a life with Kanou? How often did he catch that little angel staring absentmindedly out the window at the sky, sighing as he watched the birds flit by...

He needed to get home. He needed to see Ayase's face right now, to nestle his nose in that sweet pale neck and hold that little angel close to his own body. Looking around, Kanou realized that the Kuba twins had left with his car. He'd have to call a cab. Large fingers fumbled with the phone in his jacket. Why was he shaking? Angry at himself now, he pressed the phone against his ear and curtly ordered a cab from the company he used when his car was in the shop.

Before long, the bright yellow vehicle was shining its lights at him from the road.

As they drove through the waning sunshine Kanou replayed the angels' words over and over in his head, darkening his mood and filling the cab with an uneasiness that soon put the poor cab driver into a frenzy. They zipped through the busy roads, almost reckless as Kanou's aura prompted them to drive faster, to run from the unseen things chasing after them. The fear that had gripped him when Tetsuo first planted the notion that Ayase's wings might one day fly was back, stronger than before with the confirmation from God's messengers. Without a doubt they would heal and Ayase one day would be tempted to fly, to test his new ability. When Ayase had made his promise never to leave, the boy had been under the impression that flying would never even be an option. What would happen now? If the boy knew he could fly back to heaven, would he?

Looking back over their short history together, Kanou had to admit that he didn't know if Ayase would keep the promise he had made to him so long ago.

He just needed to see him, to be reassured that Ayase was his; that he would never try to leave.

As soon as the cab came to a jolting halt, Kanou flung some change into the front seat and exited; before his door had even closed completely, the car peeled away from the curb, rushing to get away from him and the feeling of panic that Kanou had left behind. Paying it no mind, Kanou headed for the front door of his large business building. He ignored everyone inside; his aura was still roiling, causing any who dared attempt to come up to him to turn away. Once inside the elevator, he straightened his tie and attempted to calm himself. Ayase would pick up on his mood: he needed to control himself. Nothing had even happened yet; the blond was probably waiting for him to get home, might even be pleased to see him home so early. At that, Kanou smiled a little. His aura frizzled, then settled as his thoughts turned back to Ayase's innocent and happy face. He was going to ravish his little angel tonight; perhaps they'd have wine with dinner, and then take a nice relaxing hot bath together before taking his sleepy bird to bed and caressing every inch of his body until the boy was mewling for release.

When the doors to his penthouse slid open, Kanou was smiling. He entered the hall, eyes searching further into the house for his angel. He was about to call Ayase's name when a strange rustling sound caught his ears: the beating of wings. It was unmistakable, but impossible: the angels couldn't possibly have gotten into his apartment- it was too guarded. Immediately fearing the worst, Kanou dropped his briefcase and rushed forward. Ayase's name, on the tip of his tongue as he reached the end of the hall, died back in his throat as his wide eyes took in the unbelievable sight that greeted him.

Ayase, wings unfurled and flapping, was three feet in the air. Kanou staggered back, shock knocking the air from his lungs. Ayase was… flying… ?

The boy landed unsteadily, turning a giddy breathless face to Kanou. Large blue eyes widened at being caught, then that precious face split into a bright smile.

"Kanou! You're home early-"

He was too late. The boy already knew, perhaps had known all along. And while Kanou had worried about the angel's safety, Ayase had been home alone, practicing how to fly, deceiving him.

"Kanou?"

A thunderous roaring built up in his ears, blocking every thought. Before he knew what was happening, the demon had moved forward. Instantly he was in front of Ayase, grabbing the boy's arm, tethering him to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" It felt like hot liquid was seeping through his veins, the anger clenching his chest so hard he could barely breathe. How was this happening? After everything he had done, everything he had tried so hard to keep in place- why had the one person he was trying so hard to protect betraying him?

"Did you really think I wouldn't catch you?" His heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest. They had come so far together; he truly had believed Ayase would choose him over the angels. The boy had even promised he would never try to leave him! But this was proof- cold and undeniable. He'd been a fool to think Ayase would actually give up flying, give up Heaven and his family. Of course everything the boy had said had been a ruse!

"How long has this been going on, pet?"

"What? Kanou, what did I do?"

Kanou's eyes flashed, and before he could stop himself he released Ayase's arm and slapped the boy across the face. Ayase stumbled backwards, small hands reaching up to palm the reddened cheek. Staring down at the boy, Kanou felt his rage finally consume him. Ayase knew exactly what he had done- and he'd be damned if he let the angel get away with this transgression. He thought he'd made it perfectly clear to the angel that he was never allowed to leave, never allowed to even think about getting away from Kanou and the home they had made together. If Ayase thought he could just fly away on his pretty little wings, he was dead wrong. Kanou wouldn't let anything take his bird away.

Reaching down, Kanou grabbed Ayase's arm again and immediately turned around, dragging the protesting angel behind him. Obviously the boy needed to be given a lesson. Kanou had worked so hard to learn how to tread softly around the angel in order to gain his trust while he'd been healing, but perhaps he had become careless. If Ayase thought he could learn how to fly in secret so that he could make an escape, Kanou needed to reassert his control and show the angel that escape from a demon was never an option.

When they entered their bedroom, Kanou flung Ayase onto their large bed. In an effort to regain control of his breathing, he undid his top two shirt buttons, watching as Ayase shuffled around on the bed until they were facing each other. Those large blue eyes looked up at him, tears gathering, but Kanou couldn't find any remorse or compassion within himself. For the first time, he wanted to hurt Ayase the way he had just been hurt.

"Kanou, what's wrong? Please, tell me what's wrong. I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you, but-"

"Your clothes." He had never wanted to do this again, but now-

The angel's eyes widened, a look of understanding beginning to draw across the pale face. "Wha-?"

"Take them off. _Now_." Kanou folded his arms over his chest.

He knew now. He had gone as soft as the underworld demons said he had. This in front of him was the proof. He had allowed his pride and love for the angel to take over his actions, and now… now he was paying the price for his lax.

It infuriated him. How could he have been so stupid?

Everything up til now had all been a lie, and he had bought into it like an eager fool.

"Kanou, I-"

"You're not undressing, Ayase." His words came out thick like honey. He was smiling now, he knew, just waiting to hear what excuses would come pouring out of that sweet mouth. Instead of speaking, Ayase simply stared at him, a look of terror on his face.

"Wait- wait a moment, Kanou." The angel shook his head and the irritation in Kanou's beast grew. "Let's talk. I don't understand what's happening-"

"Of course you don't," Kanou growled. Why did he want to laugh? "You never do, even when it's obvious what you've done wrong."

At his remark, Ayase opened his mouth, indignation on his face, and suddenly Kanou couldn't take it anymore. "Want to argue, huh?"

How dare the boy attempt to argue his way out of trouble after blatantly going behind Kanou's back! He stalked forward, aura pulsating with rage and humiliation.

Immediately, Ayase scrambled backwards, his hand slipping on the soft blankets covering the bed. Watching his prey go down lit a fire in Kanou's being- he moved forward, eyes darkening as he leaned over the bed. Right here and now, he was going to put a stop to the madness that his little angel had decided to take part in.

Ayase crawled back, reaching behind him. He took hold of a pillow and flung it back at the demon; Kanou roared, swatting the offending accessory as though it had been a brick. He lunged forward, arms reaching out to grab at Ayase's kicking legs. He captured one of Ayase's ankles and swiftly tugged the struggling body towards himself. Ayase twisted, angling his body so those small feathery wings- the bane of Kanou's existence, the source of all their troubles- were in range to beat wildly against Kanou's head. They flapped violently, stirring up the air and striking any part of Kanou's body within reach.

"These stupid wings!" Kanou roared, trying to get out of reach of the feathery appendages. As if it wasn't enough that the boy had blatantly lied to him about never using his wings, now he was using those same godforsaken limbs to attack him. The demon reared back, releasing Ayase's ankle suddenly when one bony forearm managed to clip his cheek.

"Ayase!"

The angel ignored him, scrambling to his feet instead and stumbling to the headboard. Kanou wiped at his cheek, feeling his rage intensify at the sight of blood on his hand. He crushed his fingers into a fist and jumped up on the bed, lifting his murderous eyes to meet large blue ones in the face of his angel across the bed. Those wide eyes- all they did was lie!

Kanou lunged forward, intending to grab hold of the small body, but Ayase turned away from him, and Kanou could only roar as those cruel white wings spread out and Ayase leapt from the bed. The angel hit the wall, wings pumping, scattering the magazines on the bedside table as the billowing air flew over them.

"You will not fly away from me!" Kanou screamed. He scrambled desperately on the sheets, the blankets bunching up and twisting around his legs, trapping him as his angel escaped. Ayase's wings still pumped furiously: he had latched onto a large painting hanging on the wall, small body turning as the painting tilted under his weight, looking for an exit. "You will never leave me, Ayase! I won't let you!"

Tearing the blankets from his legs, Kanou dived off the bed, crashing into the wall. Without even catching his breath, he turned, righting himself in time to reach out and grab hold of Ayase's ankle. Those wings kept pumping, fighting against Kanou's grip, but the demon had had enough. Roaring, he ripped the smaller body from the air and threw him facedown onto the bed. Before the boy could get up again, Kanou crawled on top of his legs, effectively pinning the blond to the bed.

As if he didn't know how to give up, Ayase's small hands still scrabbled at the sheets, trying to pull himself out from beneath the demon's bulk. His small wings still beat desperately at the air, smacking Kanou in the face. With a snarl, the demon grabbed them together and smothered them down against the boy's back, pushing them up closer to the boy's neck in an effort to prevent them from flailing. Ayase screamed, his body jolting as the wings protested against the angle.

Ignoring Ayase's cries, Kanou started ripping at the boy's shirt, tearing it from his trembling body.

He couldn't think. The demon's mind was blank. All he knows is that he needs to reassert his control, because forces are seeking to make him let go of his angel, forces that Kanou never imagined had already seeped into the home he shared with the bird pinned beneath him. That Ayase had been plotting in the scheme Kanou had been fighting so hard against all this time- it was inconceivable. He never should have allowed this to happen.

"Kanou, I'm sorry!" Ayase squealed. "I'm sorry, please, stop. I'll take it off myself. Please stop!"

"Too late for that, you treacherous little fiend." Kanou's voice almost wavered. Ayase was still fighting him, still trying to placate him; those white wings fluttered in Kanou's grasp, voicing the angel's desires to run away. "You just keep making it worse for yourself. Proving my point…" He fisted the wings tighter and Ayase let out a cry. "If I were you, I'd stop talking. Stop talking, because the more I hear the more I want to make you scream."

He ripped off a new strip of the boy's shirt, ignoring how Ayase's exposed back quivered. The boy was sobbing now, low sounds of despair that seemed to rumble through the heavy air like thunder. Kanou's heart was pounding in his ears. All he could see was the tattered shirt beneath him and those vividly white wings that jerked beneath his hand, fighting to be free.

"Ayase, stop trying to get away," he growled lowly.

"I'm not!"

As if acting out the lightning in their storm, Kanou roared and struck the bed with a clenched fist; the mattress dipped under his force, the springs creaking in protest.

"Cut the act! You're more devil than I am, _little angel_."

"What are you talking about?"

"Maybe I should just tear your wings off, hmm?" The words were out of his mouth before he had even processed them. He paused, his breath hitching at the thought of doing something so horrible. It was a drastic price to pay, but maybe, in this type of situation, it was something that needed to be done. Ayase needed to be punished; he needed to realize the truth of their situation.

"You're never leaving here," Kanou continued, musing over the idea. "It's pointless to have wings; you'll never be allowed to fly away."

"Kanou-You- you wouldn't-"

Was his bird really testing him? "Oh wouldn't I?" he sneered. Shifting on top of the small body, Kanou separated the two wings, clenching the left one closed so he could hold it close to the base where it connected by Ayase's shoulder blade. Ripping the wing out would be such an easy thing to do- Ayase's wings were small, deformed and weak. Kanou's wings had been powerful and large, twice his own body size. If the council could have his impressive wings ripped from his body, it would be all too easy for him to pluck the tiny feathered wings from the back of this small boy. He tightened his hold, emphasizing the power he held over the angel.

Ayase's body trembled under him. As Kanou's hand tightened over the captured wing, the boy began to thrash wildly beneath him. "No! _No_!"

Ayase would never be able to get away. Kanou's heart clenched in his chest. This is not where they should be this far into their relationship. Why did he still have to threaten his little angel? Why couldn't they just be happy? Why did the boy have to be plotting to get away?

"I've told you before that I would do anything to keep you chained to my side, Ayase. Seeing you plotting behind my back, trying to escape- you're never leaving, and if this is what I have to do to keep you here, then this is what I will do!"

"No, Kanou, please! Please don't!"

"Shut up! You are such a fool, Ayase. You keep forgetting who holds the power here. It was never you, _angel_. You belong to me. The little freedom I've given you has gone to your head."

This was all his fault. He'd been too soft. "Well you need to get this into your head, sweets: you are never leaving me!"

"I never tried to-"

"Enough!" It was time for a change. This was his chance to show Ayase that escape from Kanou Somuku was never an option.

Ayase struggled beneath him, wings jerking in his grip as the boy thrashed.

"Kanou, don't- it hurts. It hurts! Please! Let go!" Those small hands reached out, seeking something to hold onto. Wary that Ayase might find something to throw or somehow twist out from beneath him, Kanou pulled back on the wing he held tightly by the base. Ayase arched his back, following the rise of his wing. The action didn't seem to negate his ability to thrash around- that small body rocked back and forth frantically, wings renewing their spastic fluttering. The movement was too much- Ayase's right wing freed itself from the demon's grip. Before it could clip him again, Kanou slapped his hand back down on it, forcing Ayase's body back into the mattress. Though the blond's face was buried in the sheets, Kanou felt Ayase's scream rip through his own body.

"Kanou, please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

He was breathing too hard. A light touch to his knuckles had him looking down to see Ayase's small hands reaching back again, fumbling at his large paws. They were so small against his own hands, yet they kept trying to pull him away. Kanou shifted, moving his weight further up the small angel's body. He wanted to do it. His hand tightened over the crumpled wing, drawing a cry of pain from Ayase. He wanted to do it; it would be so easy.

"You've really pissed me off, Ayase," he growled in a low voice, "so I suggest you shut up and start pleading for mercy. I'm not kidding you when I say I'll pull these wings from your body. It'd be like pulling a stupid weed from that Okama's pathetic flower garden."

"Kanou, please, I've said that I'm sorry-"

"You don't even know why you're apologizing, you little schemer."

The boy was silent, probably thinking up new lies. It didn't matter though, because Kanou knew what he had seen. Ayase had almost been in full control of his wings when he had walked in on the traitorous boy less than an hour ago. This had to mean that the angel had been practicing and attempting to fly for longer. And even if that had been the first time Ayase had tried flying, it still didn't change the fact that the boy had even tried in the first place. Kanou had explicitly warned him against flying, had told him that there was no escape. And yet, despite all the warnings Kanou had given the little angel, Ayase had still gone behind his back and taught himself how to use his healed wings. Even if he couldn't fly at full strength now, there was no doubt in the demon's mind that what Daiki had told him earlier would actually come to pass.

"I don't know why I didn't just tear your wings off the first day I brought you here. It would have saved us so much trouble, so much hassle. Then you never would have gotten these funny thoughts in your pretty little head." His grip tightened over the wing. "I could just do it now."

He couldn't keep the angel by his side; there were too many forces at work attempting to steal Ayase away. All of his rules had been put in place to make the angel learn his place, and they still hadn't kept the silly bird from realizing that he was never going to be free.

Ayase would fly away as soon as his wings healed. It was so clear now. The angels would fight for him, and he would willingly go with them because why- after everything Kanou had done- would the boy choose to stay here? With the man who had raped and abused him?

"Kanou. I'm scared, please, let go of me. _Please_."

Why was this all so difficult?

Ayase was the only good in his life, the one who could actually make _him_ \- a banished, wingless demon- feel like he could fly again. They were two of the same- beings better than what they had been given in life, unable to obtain what they truly wanted.

Those small trembling fingers desperately clinging to his own- he would make sure that they stayed there always. Ayase belonged with him.

They were off balance though. Ayase's wings only filled the boy with false hopes. And those hopes led him to delusional fantasies, which in turn brought him to incredibly stupid stunts like the one he had pulled today.

And that was unacceptable.

Those wings were the true source of their imbalance.

They needed to go.

But-

Looking down at his hand clenched cruelly around the base of the boys left wing, Kanou felt a numbing horror begin to burn through him. He stared down at it, vision blurring as he fell back into his past. Screams filled his ears; lost memory of his own tortured cries during the ceremony of his banishment. He could feel the memory of his wings on his back, the roots being torn from his muscles, excruciating pain, blood. Blood everywhere.

Staring down at the shivering creature pinned beneath his hands, Kanou suddenly felt the crushing reality roll over him. Had he really gotten so angry that he would dare to do the same, cruel thing to Ayase that had been done to him?

Any demon in the underworld wouldn't hesitate. He was different though- he had been kicked out for a reason.

Very gently, he released the crumpled wing, heart thundering in his chest as he watched the feathers droop, crinkled from the force of his grip. He could never forcibly tear the wings from Ayase's back. Now that he had collected himself, he knew this now. It was an act too cruel for anyone to have to go through- if he were to do it, here and now, Ayase would never forget the experience, and neither would he. It was too cruel, too violent. The damage done could rip Ayase's soul to shreds. And even if it didn't, it would tear himself to pieces instead; simply knowing that he had been the one to physically rip the wings from that fragile body.

However, that didn't mean that he couldn't find a way to take the wings off in a way that would be less traumatic. Gion was specialized in medicinal practices. He'd fixed Kanou's back after his wings were torn out- surely he could perform a surgery to take the boy's wings off.

Ayase had not moved an inch while he'd been thinking. Was the boy really still so frightened of him? The freed wing was twitching slightly, as though voicing the fear still running through the small, trapped body.

Without thinking, Kanou reached out and took hold of the wing again, lightly pressing to make it extend. The small body flinched at his contact and irritation flashed through the demon.

Suppressing a growl and forcing himself to calm down, Kanou inspected the base of Ayase's wing, wondering just how far the muscle spread in the angel's back. Looking up again, he lightly traced the wing's edges. So light, so radiantly pure and white; his own wings had not been as feathery as the young angel's. They had been similar to Gions- leathery, membranous, and dark in color. The feathers making up Ayase's wings were soft, but when he tugged experimentally on one he could feel the strength hidden in its gentle form. Angel feathers were durable, strong enough to be used in battle as a shield: Ayase's father had even been well known for using his wings offensively.

Releasing the wing once more, Kanou leaned back, placing his hands in his lap as he stared down at Ayase's shivering form.

He couldn't do this anymore.

"I'm going out right now." His voice came out gruff as he struggled to keep control. He wanted to break something, _anything_. Breathing deeply, he made up his mind. "Put a shirt on, Ayase. I'll be back later tonight."

He waited for the angel to acknowledge him, and eventually the small blond head bobbed in a nod. Irritation raged through him once more at Ayase's silence. Forcing himself not to lash out again, he got to his knees, removing his weight from the angel's legs, and headed for the hall. He didn't look back.

()

Kanou could feel the rage flowing through him in waves as he headed for his private car. He had snatched the keys from his right hand man, silencing the human's protests by snarling that he was leaving and that, no, he did not want a driver.

Right now, he did not want to sit idly in the back seat. He was the boss, the one who gave the orders and held the power. He was the one who was in charge. So he was going to drive, and he was going to drive fast.

It didn't matter where he went. All that mattered in this moment was that he controlled the steering wheel.

Somehow, after a few hours of road rage and sullen meandering, he managed to arrive at Gion's. Looking up at the stark building, Kanou knew exactly what he had to do. He made his way inside, ignoring everyone around him. Once he got to Gion's office, he strode inside without knocking.

"You need to take them away," he announced, shutting the door behind him and moving toward the blond demon at his desk.

"Hi Kanou, nice to see you too." Gion smirked as he turned to survey the brooding demon. "I'm doing fine, thanks for asking." Kanou ignored his friend and paced along the wall instead. "Why don't you come on in and make yourself at home?"

"I don't have time for your quirkiness, Gion," Kanou grumbled.

The playfulness died from Gion's eyes as he watched the dark-haired demon finally take a seat at the broad table. Kanou's unbuttoned shirt and rumpled necktie didn't go unnoticed.

"What happened, Kanou? What's got you all in a tizzy now?"

The dark demon breathed in deep before facing his blond friend. "It's finally happened, Gion. Ayase has been lying to me: I caught him in the act."

"Ooh, what devilish act did you catch him in? Give me all the juicy details."

Gion swung his legs around so he was straddling his chair, then leaned forward as if he were a human school girl gossiping with her friends after class.

"This isn't something to joke around about, Gion." Kanou ran a hand through his hair, feeling more tired at his friend's reaction than irritated. "Ayase can fly- I came home and caught him practicing in my living room!"

The smile dropped from Gion's face. "Wait-"

Kanou locked eyes with the blond demon. Gion looked bewildered.

"He actually healed enough to be able to fly?" The blond's voice was incredulous.

"Yes." The memory was still fresh in his mind. He could see the beating of Ayase's small wings in the space of their living room, feel the air brushing past him, hear the magazine pages flipping on the table. His hands clenched on the wood of the table top.

"No shit." Gion leaned back, still staring in amazement at the dark demon. "Well, I didn't believe it was actually possible."

"That's not all." Kanou closed his eyes and ran his fingers over the sockets. "Not only can he fly, but I was paid a visit by two heavenly messengers this afternoon."

"Oh no."

"They told me that this would happen. They said God has willed Ayase to be able to fly again. They also said they were coming for him; that not only are they coming to reclaim the city, but first they're going to take Ayase away from me."

For once in his life, Gion was silent. Then, without a word, he got up and left the room, returning with a dark bottle and two glasses. He set one in front of Kanou, pouring a generous amount of amber liquid into the glass before pouring one for himself and taking a seat opposite the dark demon. Kanou traced the rim of the cup with his forefinger once before picking it up and downing the liquid. It burned its way down his throat. He wanted more.

Gion was sipping at his drink, brow furrowed as he thought over what Kanou had told him. Kanou had already spent the last few hours mulling over what he had seen and heard though. He was done thinking things over; he didn't want to waste another second when he had already decided on a plan of action.

"I need you to remove Ayase's wings."

Gion's head shot up, shock written on his handsome face. "What?"

Kanou picked up the bottle, answering lowly as he poured himself another glass. "Ayase showed me his true colors today: his wings are now fully functional, and he's not afraid to use them. He was using them tonight when I've expressly forbid him from it; there's no doubt in my mind that if he's allowed to keep his wings he'll use them to fly away from me, with or without the help of the angels."

"Kanou-" Gion shook his head, biting his lip. "This is a big step. Have you even thought this through?"

"All I've done this afternoon is think about it," Kanou snapped. "First those dirty angels snuck up on me at work and threatened to take my angel away. When I got home, that same angel I was defending stabbed me in the back. I have to do something!"

For a moment, the two simply sat looking at each other.

Then, very softly, Gion asked, "What happened to your cheek?"

Kanou stiffened, raising a hand to cover the scratch on his cheek. He'd forgotten all about the wound from his tussle with Ayase.

"It's just another reason they have to go," he grumbled.

The ticking of the clock over Gion's desk seemed to get louder as the blond demon stared at him. Kanou growled: he needed Gion to be on board with his plan. There was no one else he could turn to who would be able to perform the service he was requesting.

"You're serious, aren't you." Kanou wanted to roll his eyes at Gion's incredulous tone.

"Yes, Gion, I'm serious. Why is this so hard for you to believe?"

"Well, I just thought… he's your angel, isn't he? Weren't you giving him the benefit of the doubt, or something cutesy like that?"

"I was until I caught him practicing how to fly in my living room." Kanou ran a hand through his hair, feeling exasperated. "This is what needs to be done, okay? I've already thought it all through."

"So you want me to take his wings away, just like yours were." Gion's voice, normally so light, was serious. It sent chills down Kanou's spine, reminding the demon of how- just hours before- he had sat on top of his pinned angel and threatened to rip them out himself.

"It's not the same, Gion. No one will be ripping his wings out; this is way more humane than what was done to me."

"Oh, right, sure," Gion laughed. "I forgot. It's such a normal and humane thing to do: removing the very symbol of an angel's pure devotion."

"My mind is made up Gion. Ayase's been treating me like a fool: playing innocent, getting me to lower my guard while he slowly built up his strength. He needs to learn his lesson and understand that he belongs to me. He's never leaving me. If taking away the power of his wings is what I have to do to drive that reality home, then I'll do it."

For five months, Kanou had believed that the angel had finally learned and accepted his place, but he had been wrong. The angel had simply been playing him.

Ayase hadn't given him any other choice.

"If it were any other demon asking me to do something like this," Gion said slowly, "I wouldn't hesitate. I reveled with the others the night the angels were driven from this town- it makes it so much easier to perform business, you know? But, you're not just some demon, Kanou. And this isn't just some random angel you're asking me to destroy."

"Gion-"

"This is Ayase you're talking about." Gion's voice rose, cutting off the dark demon. "This is the angel you watched over for four years. You took him into your home; you've fretted over your relationship _constantly_. Every time you and I get together you have a new story to tell me about your little bird. You _love_ him. And now, you want me to destroy him- to destroy the both of you."

Gion's words cut through him. Kanou knew what he was proposing, but the need to take action was stronger than the warnings in his head.

"Ayase will understand-"

"Will he?" Gion interrupted. "Did you understand when the demon council decided to tear your own wings off?"

"It's not the same!"

Fire was coursing through his veins again. What had happened to him and what he was proposing to Gion were two very different things. He'd had the opportunity to treat Ayase the way he'd been treated, and he'd already come to the conclusion that it was wrong. He wouldn't treat Ayase like that- it was too cruel. But something had to be done.

"Considering what that little angel did today, I'm being extremely merciful. When I came home and saw him in the air, I wanted to hurt him, Gion. I pinned him to our bed and took those stupid wings in my hands and threatened to pull them out right then and there. I almost went through with it." He lowered his eyes, looking down at the fist that had held those tiny wings in a tight grasp. It would have been so easy to pluck it from Ayase's back then; like ripping up the roots of a weed in a freshly tended patch of soil.

Snapping out of his memory, Kanou reached for his glass again. "Ripping his wings out isn't the answer though. I know that now. I'm glad I stopped myself, because that would have been a mistake that neither of us would have recovered from. It's too much- too harsh. I won't put him through that pain." He paused, breathing hard.

"I can't keep living like this though. Ayase's wings are a burden. For months now we knew something like this would happen, but I just wanted to believe in my angel and hope that he wouldn't give in to the temptation of his wings. And he proved me wrong. I can't trust Ayase not to fly away, not when we know for sure now that his wings are capable of flight. I need a way to chain him by my side for good, and the only way to do that is to get rid of the source of the problem once and for all."

Gion still wasn't speaking; the blond demon just stared at him. It was unnerving; made Kanou feel frantic.

"If you won't help me, Gion, then I'll go somewhere else. There has to be someone else with medical experience who can take Ayase's wings away safely. I won't expose my angel to more pain, but I need this to be done before it drives a wedge between me and my angel. I won't let Ayase get away. He belongs with me." He leveled a look at Gion filled with as much determination and fire as he could summon.

"Will you do it?"

For a moment, Gion just kept staring at him. Then, he let out a long exasperated sigh.

"You're sure this is what you want, Kanou?"

"Yes."

"There's no going back once we do this."

"I know."

Gion leaned back, his blue eyes roving over Kanou's face. Then, to Kanou's surprise, the blond demon smiled. "I'm kinda proud of you."

Kanou looked up, baffled by his friend's odd statement.

"I was worried- for a long time, actually." Gion laughed. "I didn't know what you would do after your banishment. Your reputation as a demon was destroyed, and for the longest time I didn't think you would ever go back to your old self. Obsessing all that time over your bird… worrying about how much you might hurt him, and then later how he might hurt you… I thought you had grown soft, Kanou. But, maybe this is good for you. I get that you don't want to hurt your angel, but I'm glad to see you're finally stepping up and taking back your name as a proud demon; taking back your control."

Gion's words of praise gave Kanou pause. Before he could think about what the demon was implying, Gion stood up from the table and grabbed a pen and notepad from his desk. Once he'd set them down on the table top, he poured them both another drink.

"Alright," he said, the playfulness back in his voice, "let's get this settled then."

()

The apartment was dark. It was an unusual characteristic for seven in the morning; Ayase normally was early to rise with the sun. He would open all the curtains and blinds and immediately set a kettle to boil for tea. Moving through the darkened hall, Kanou came to a stop in the living room.

In his usual chair by the window, Ayase was curled up like a cat, eyes closed in sleep with a blanket barely hanging onto his form. For a moment, Kanou didn't move. He simply stood there, looking across the room at the one being he had ever come to love. He seemed so precious, so fragile and vulnerable.

The thought made him sigh and close his eyes. Funny how looks could be so deceiving.

His body moved before he could command it to, and suddenly he was striding forward to the front of the boy's chair.

"Get up," he ground out gruffly. Ayase stirred slightly, moaning incoherently. Kanou's stomach flipped at the sight, which led to a boil of irritation raging through his system. His hand reached out, giving the angel a rough shake before recoiling. Ayase jumped, his eyes fluttering from the rude awakening.

"I said get up," Kanou spat, turning to head for the bedroom. "We're going out today." From behind him he heard the boy groan, cushions creaking as he inevitably stretched. Images of the daily routine of the boy sprung unwittingly to his minds eye: Ayase always stretched every morning, like a cat. It was amusing to watch, especially when his pajama shirt would rise and expose that deliciously creamy patch of skin above the waistband of his pants. It inevitably made the demon horny every morning, and was the reason he didn't need coffee anymore to wake up before work.

But now, things were about to change. Attempting to bury the images in his head, Kanou made his way to the dresser and brusquely yanked the drawers open, looking for a change of boxers and socks. He shrugged out of his shirt and opened the closet beside the dresser. The shirts within stared at him accusingly. His eyes narrowed.

"Kanou?"

His eyes closed. Ayase was in the room now. His heart was beating too fast. He couldn't look at his angel, couldn't bear the thought of seeing the anxiety in his eyes, the guilt, the confusion, _the_ _lies_.

"Um, you never came home last night. I got worried-"

"Get dressed, Ayase. Don't make me repeat myself again." His words were cutting even to his own ears. He knew Ayase was watching him. The clueless angel wanted to talk things out, to make up new lies to confuse him. He would bat those blue eyes and maybe chalk out a few tears and then everything Kanou had built up would be thrown out. That little angel- he was playing him for a fool.

His mind was made up though. He hadn't spent the night at Gion's arranging payment just so he could come home and have the boy change his mind. What he was doing- it was for a damn good reason. It needed to be done!

"Kanou-"

"Go ahead and use the bathroom first, Ayase," Kanou growled, eyes still burning a hole in the shirts in his closet, "but make it quick. We're going out today and meeting someone. I don't want to be late."

"Oh, um, right. But we-"

Irritation sprung to life within him at the continued attempts for reconciliation. Kanou turned to face the angel, anger written on his face. The boy shrunk back, shoulders hunching, before grabbing his jacket and rushing to the bathroom.

Alone in the room, Kanou turned back to face the clothes in his closet. Eyes snapping shut, he held back a roar as his arm flashed out, ripping the clothes from the hangers and hurling them to the ground where they scattered violently. They lay twisted upon the floor, like dead bodies that had been thrown carelessly aside after a murder. His heart pounded in his ears.

The sooner he got this over with, the better.

()

 _To be continued_

 **A/N:** There were some characters left over in the manga that I could have used for the two angels who visited Kanou, but I was already using these and really liked their meaning: Daiki means great glory, and Isamu means courage


	3. Chapter 3

()

Ayase fidgeted in the car.

Kanou had done his best to ignore the angel since their confrontation in the bedroom that morning. He was angry, but more than that, he was beginning to question whether he really was doing the right thing. In the light of day, the surgery he had planned for the boy seemed as harsh a punishment as bodily ripping the wings from his back.

Even though the reservation niggled at him, he resolutely pushed it to the back of his mind. Nothing would make him reconsider. Ayase had had this coming to him for a long time. The boy had lied, plotted, and dared to dream of a life free from the demon- it was unacceptable. As much as he wanted the boy to choose a life with him, Kanou knew that it would never be possible with those wings- the very symbol of freedom- still a part of him. Getting rid of them was the only way to make Ayase see things as they truly were.

Once they pulled up to Gion's workplace, Kanou headed boldly for the front door, glancing back to make sure Ayase was following. The boy was stumbling after him, his small wings hidden from sight beneath a sleeveless jacket. For once in his life, Kanou was glad the feathery appendages were only invisible to human eyes and not to human touch. Keeping them out of his sight was helping to keep him relatively calm as they entered the building.

It was Ayase's first time meeting Gion; his blond head twisted from side to side as they walked, taking in the sights of the large building.

"Kanou, what are we doing here?"

Ayase's small voice wavered behind him. Kanou glanced back, noticing how the boy trembled slightly as he tried to keep as close to the demon as he possibly could. Though it was similar to Kanou's business place, Kanou knew the depravities of the deeds being done under Gion's nose in this place were even more overwhelming to his sensitive angel.

Demons and humans alike in the large lobby stared hungrily at his beautiful angel; Kanou had known the moment they walked in the building that Ayase would be a target of their lecherous eyes, but it didn't make the situation any easier. He glared back at them, spilling out his aura to let any who dared look at his angel know that the boy was his property and not something they could freely gawk at. Most turned away at his displays, but a few of the haughtier demons smirked back at him, licking their lips as Ayase shuddered.

It sickened him that he couldn't protect his angel better.

"We're meeting someone, Ayase; I've already told you," he growled lowly, narrowing his eyes at a demon near the front desk who had made an unwise decision to take a step closer as they walked by. "Stay close."

As they passed the desk, Kanou snarled at the other demon to keep him from following them to the elevator. The demon hesitated, but when Kanou's eyes flashed gold the stranger wisely stepped away and busied himself with the pamphlets in front of him.

Kanou had to resist the urge to bounce on the balls of his feet as they waited for the elevator to come down to the lobby. His eyes burned holes in the metallic doors, willing the box to move faster. Ayase pressed into his side as they waited, and it took all his strength not to wrap his arm around that small bundle of light and carry the angel out of there. He wanted to run, to punch something, to pick a fight with the demon peeking around the corner at them. What if they just ran; left Japan and went somewhere the angels would never think to look? They could live happily in a small house in America or Europe, just living together. It could work. All they had to do was run away.

But then those metal doors slid open with a sharp ding, and Kanou felt himself move forward, steering Ayase by the shoulder into the box that closed them in to fate. He automatically punched in Gion's code and stepped back, hand still on Ayase's shoulder. The angel flinched as they ascended, reminding the demon that it was Ayase's first time in Gion's workplace. Sins of all kinds were undertaken in this building, and to an angel as pure as Ayase the shock of those depravities came as a physical pressure on his body. It was one of the reasons he had never brought Ayase with him to meet his oldest friend before.

"Kanou?" Ayase's voice was strained.

He gently tightened his grip on the angel's shoulder, hoping the reassurance of his presence would cancel out the negative energy that swirled around them. Tremors raced under the boy's skin and sweat was beginning to bead on the back of his neck. Kanou willed the elevator to move faster before Ayase passed out on him.

As soon as they came to Gion's personal floor, Kanou pushed Ayase forward to get him into the safety corridor. Gion liked his space- no outside presence could be felt on this floor- and in this instance Kanou was grateful for that. Ayase's head was swiveling left and right as they moved down the hall, taking in the hideous paintings Gion had decided to decorate with. Kanou hated those paintings.

Before long they were at Gion's favorite office midway down the hall, the very room he had slept in just last night. Kanou was about to go right in as usual, but he stopped himself, choosing instead to knock on the door and take a moment to gather his fraying nerves. He instantly regretted it, because as soon as he knocked he felt Gion's aura flare behind the door, causing Ayase to stiffen under his hand and attempt to move back. That stupid demon was messing with him.

The door swung open and Kanou felt his irritation spike. Gion was grinning, and wearing the orange shirt that Kanou hated.

"You're early, Kanou," the blond demon drawled with a smirk. "Should have let me know you were already here; I would have made coffee."

Forcing back the growl in his throat, Kanou narrowed his eyes as Gion cast a long look down his trembling angel.

"So, this is the angel you spoke of." His voice was silky and seductive; and Kanou knew he was only doing it to intimidate Ayase. It was all he could do not to smack the smile off Gion's devilish face. "Seems a little small."

That was enough. Kanou sighed irritably and pushed past Gion, forcing Ayase into the room. He didn't miss Gion's little chuckle of amusement as the demon shut the door behind them.

"Cut the crap, Gion. We're here on business, remember?"

Though he said it, Kanou couldn't erase the feeling of unease that had been creeping up on him all morning. Last night had been a blur of insecurity. He'd left Gion's place this morning with a resolve to take away Ayase's wings, but a sliver of doubt had wedged itself in the backdoor of his mind, and the trembling of Ayase's shoulders beneath his hand only struck the wedge with more force, widening the shadow of his insecurity.

"Kanou?" Ayase's small voice wafted up to him, shallow and afraid. He was pressing into his side, seeking comfort from the presence of the unknown demon. Gion wasn't helping at all: he seemed to be enjoying his ability to intimidate Ayase with his impressive stature. Gion was a dangerous demon, to be sure, but once you go to know him personally as Kanou had for decades, you got to see the fluff and playfulness underneath his outward perception. Gion also liked to play games, and normally it was fun to watch him intimidate other beings; but that he was taking pleasure in tormenting his already nervous angel was not something Kanou appreciated.

Gion grinned, flashing a wicked smile at Ayase. Oh yes, there was no doubt in Kanou's mind that the blond demon was well aware of Kanou's irritation.

"Never met a fully functioning demon before, have you, kid?" Gion asked with a smirk. Kanou's face darkened. How dare Gion make fun of him now, when the demon knew how much he had been struggling with the issue at hand. Before he could put the other demon back in his place, Gion let out a bark of laughter.

"Boy, Kanou, seems to me that pretty boy is smart enough to look to you for guidance," Gion chuckled. Kanou glanced down. Ayase had been looking at him? "I don't think you're in need of my services. He seems devoted enough."

The angel was now staring at Gion with a frightened expression on his pale face, but for some reason it made Kanou feel slightly better knowing Ayase had been seeking out his guidance while under Gion's verbal and metaphysical attack. Nevertheless, he knew this wasn't the moment to be backing down. Gion was testing him. "He's looking to me because you insist on intimidating him with your aura and dark insinuations. My mind is made up, Gion; we're doing this."

"Um, Kanou, what exactly are we doing?" Ayase's small voice asked from beside him.

"Be quiet, Ayase."

"Whoa, you haven't even told him, Kanou?" Gion barked. Kanou felt his heart thumping in his chest; the blond idiot was about to make things so much worse. "And here I thought being banished had made you soft. I'm almost proud."

"What haven't you told me, Kanou?"

The panic in Ayase's voice cut straight through Kanou's chest. He couldn't look down at him, couldn't bear to see the fear in those big blue eyes. He was too tired; tired of being lied to and manipulated. But he couldn't answer either. Ayase wasn't going to take it well; how could he tell the boy what he had planned with Gion? He clenched Ayase's shoulder in his hand, focusing on breathing, trying to formulate how he would say what was about to happen.

"Kanou, please! What's going on?" Kanou gripped Ayase tighter as the angel attempted to turn, to look him in the eyes. "Kanou-"

"He's paying me to surgically remove your wings, sweet pea," Gion interjected. "That's what's going on."

It was as if a bomb had gone off in the small room. All Kanou could feel was the thumping of his heart.

"Impossible."Ayase's voice seemed even smaller."You're lying. This can't be true. Kanou would never."He jerked forward and Kanou looked down to find himself caught in the liquid blue eyes of his unbelieving angel. " _You_ would never. Kanou, tell me it isn't true. Please. Tell me this is all a joke, another one of your ruses to show me that you're the boss."

He wanted the angel to stop looking at him with those pain-filled eyes. Those words, so pleading and broken, had hit him like a ton of bricks. His heart was clenching in his chest. Ayase seemed so small right now, like a child.

Kanou closed his eyes, erasing the picture of his angel- upset, afraid, bordering on hysteria- from his mind. Why did he have to be the bad guy? Ayase was the one who had been wrong. Why couldn't the little angel see that?

"This isn't funny, Kanou. I want to go home now!"

Wrong, and now ordering him around. This boy had everything backwards.

"We're not going home, Ayase." Kanou's voice came out low, almost a growl. He was the one in control, always had been. It was time to set things right. "You're getting that operation."

"No! No, you can't do this!"

"You don't get a choice in the matter, Ayase. My mind is made up and nothing you say can change it-"

"Kanou!"

Ayase was looking at him as if he didn't even know him. The wedge split even wider.

"No." Disbelief pooled in the angel's face, but as Kanou looked into those blue eyes, sorrow welling in his heart, he could see the hardening of Ayase's eyes as the angel realized that Kanou wasn't bluffing this time. "No." Ayase pulled back, but Kanou kept a tight grip on his shoulder. The angel was turning, looking for a place to escape from. His body thrashed, taking Kanou back to the previous afternoon when he had held the angel down on his bed, tearing the boy's clothes while he screamed. "No!"

"You're not going anywhere, so stop struggling, Ayase."

"No!"Unable to free himself from Kanou's grip, Ayase resorted to striking out at him, swinging wildly with his hands.

With each beat of those small fists on his chest, Kanou felt his heart break into even smaller pieces. He couldn't find the strength to fight back, to pull the angel off himself.

Ayase slumped suddenly, and Kanou felt his heart drop as he stooped to catch the suddenly falling angel. His moment of concern for the angel turned into a furious roar when Ayase immediately lunged away from him, freed from Kanou's grasp. The boy darted away, taking refuge behind the table; thank God Gion had still been standing by the door or the angel would have skipped out.

"Kanou, please!" Ayase shrieked. "Think about this!" He was holding one arm out, palm up as though to tame a rabid dog, but Kanou had had enough. He would not be placated. Ayase was doing it again, trying to run from him.

"There's nothing _to_ think about. I've made my decision," Kanou snarled.

"This isn't something you can just do on a whim! Once you do this to me, it can never be undone." Ayase's high voice cut through the air, sending goosebumps up Kanou's arms. "Chains come with a key; but Kanou, my wings will never grow back." His small lips trembled, and tears beaded at his crinkled blue eyes. "Please, I'll do anything for you Kanou, but not this."

He almost couldn't look at him. Ayase's pain was not something he had wanted, but there was no way he could possibly make the angel understand.

"Not this, Kanou." Ayase was crying now. "Name it, anything you want. I won't use my wings in the apartment, I won't even open them. I'll let you do anything you want to me in bed, or in the shower, or wherever. Whatever! I don't care, just please. Please, Kanou."

Lies. The situation was spiraling out of Kanou's control now. If this kept up, he wouldn't be strong enough to go through with it. Those pretty lies from those tempting lips were too sweet. They should have just run away.

"Kanou, why- why are you doing this?"

Did the boy even know? Did that little angel even know that his kind had come back for him, that they were ready to infiltrate the city to take him away forever? Did he know how much stronger his wings were going to get?

"Please, Kanou. Please, I'm begging you."

" _Shut up_ , Ayase." He couldn't think; his mind had become a blur of images and sounds, worries and fears. Everything he had worked so hard for- keeping watch over Ayase for four years, infiltrating Hayashida's auction to buy him, working on his temper so they could build a real relationship- everything was crumbling to pieces because of Ayase's curiosity. If the boy had just resigned himself to Kanou's rules they wouldn't be in this mess.

"You won't do it. I know you won't. I trust you-"

"Just shut up!" Kanou slammed his fist into the wall, rattling the bottles and books Gion had stored on the shelves. "I trusted you, too! And look where it got me! You got me to soften up while you bided your time at home alone, waiting until the day your wings healed enough that you could fly away from me."

"What? Kanou, no, that's not-"

"Shut up! Just shut up, you little viper." He almost couldn't breathe. Every muscle in his taut body screamed at him to rush forward, to tackle Ayase to the ground and be done with this charade. "You thought you could fool me, so you can save your pleas. I've learned my lesson, and I'll make damn sure that you learn yours. You are not leaving me, little angel; get that message through your dense, pretty head. You are _never_ leaving me."

"Kanou. It's not like that, I can't even fly-"

"Like hell you can't!" Why was the boy still pretending; still trying to lie his way out of the mess he had created? "All those wings do is put stupid, useless ideas in your head. I own you, Ayase, and I will never allow you to even come close to flying ever again. I was stupid to have even believed we could live normally while you still carried those things on your back-"

"Well if you dare to take them away from me I can swear to you now that we'll never live normally ever again!"

Kanou reeled back, shock widening his eyes. It was as if Ayase had slapped him in the face. This was it: the moment he had feared would come. Ayase was finally rebelling, finally showing everyone his true colors. A strange calmness overtook him as his aura darkened and pulsated.

"Did you really just dare to shout at me, Ayase?" Kanou's voice was low, rumbling, promising to inflict as much pain as he could. "More importantly, did you really just threaten me?"

"I did, Kanou, because you are making a mistake in your anger."

Dark golden eyes narrowed, revealing the fury that was building within him again.

"I never intended to leave you, Kanou," Ayase continued desperately, "and I don't have any intention now."

Kanou almost laughed; he opened his mouth, ready to put the angel back in place when Ayase interrupted him again, holding up his hand as if to physically stop the demon from speaking.

"Please hear me out! I wasn't lying to you when I told you that I can't fly. I will never be able to, no matter how much I try. And even though I dream of flying, it doesn't mean anything. They're just dreams, fantasies. It doesn't mean I'm going to slip away in the dead of night and try to run from you."

Ayase slowly moved forward, still holding out his hand as if Kanou were a rabid dog he was attempting to calm.

"I know you, Kanou," Ayase whispered slowly, "and I know that you'd come after me. The angels are gone from this city and I am sure that God would welcome me back to heaven-"

Kanou's face darkened.

"-but Kanou, you have given me a real home. Yes, you scare me sometimes, and you could work on your anger issues, and learning how to understand that 'no' really does mean 'no'; but that doesn't mean I don't want to stay with you."

Ayase was slowly moving back around the table as he spoke, speaking gently but with an urgency that raised the hairs on Kanou's arms.

"I never tried to run when I first came to live with you, maybe out of fear and the fact that I was hurt; but when I got over that fear and began to heal, I didn't run because I began to trust you. We became a family. Right now, you are the only person on earth that I trust. And right now, even though you're threatening to take away the single most important thing to me just because you're scared that I will fly away, let me ask you one thing: do you trust me?"

Neves still on edge, Kanou felt his body screaming at him to move as the boy slipped closer. His heart couldn't stop its rapid beating. Such pretty words- they were all Kanou could hope for, but he knew the truth. Ayase could talk all he wanted about being with him, but Kanou knew the truth would find its way out someday.

Ayase's small fingers tentatively touched the skin of his arm, sending nerves firing throughout the rest of Kanou's body. The muscles in his arms quivered under that light touch. He just wanted Ayase to be with him. Looking into his angel's sad, tired eyes tore him apart.

"Do you trust me, Kanou?" Ayase was so close his breath brushed against Kanou's skin. "Because I've given you my trust and I'm trying to learn how to give you my love, and I'm just asking for you to do the same. I'm sorry I hurt you, Kanou, but this is all just a big misunderstanding. I won't run; I wouldn't fly even if I was able to. So please, please, Kanou; can we just go home?"

His heart was breaking. Before his angel could see his pain, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the smaller body, tucking his head into the curve of Ayase's neck- his favorite spot on Ayase's body, the one he always claimed first. He breathed in deep, squeezing his eyes closed as tears gathered, dropping silently and unknown into his angel's hair. He held on tight, reveling in the feel of Ayase's arms reaching around him and hugging close.

Movement at his side had him looking up to see Gion squatting down at his side. Kanou looked away as his friend moved into position, a syringe in his hands.

When Ayase jerked, Kanou felt his spirit whither. The boy was thrashing in his grip again, no longer holding onto him, but instead tearing at Kanou's large arms around his waist.

"He'll be out in a few seconds, Kanou. I'll get everything else ready."

"What? No!" Ayase's voice was shrill and panicked. It cut right through him. "No, Kanou, please, I already told you I wouldn't fly away."

He couldn't listen anymore. Ayase was beating him with his fists again, crying.

"I won't fly away! I won't fly!"

All he could do was hold on as the drug slowly took effect. He didn't let go, didn't move as Ayase assaulted him. This was what had to be done.

"Kanou… how could you betray me?"

Kanou closed his eyes at those soft words, losing the battle he'd been fighting internally as fresh tears cascaded down his face. He could feel Ayase's body going limp in his arms. Who knew such a fragile being could wreck such pain upon him with mere words?

Ayase would understand one day. He was sure of it. They were meant to be together, but fate was trying to pull them apart. This was the only thing he could do to protect his angel.

He planted a wet kiss on Ayase's temple as the boy's body slumped in his arms.

"It's going to be okay, Ayase," he murmured against the boy's hair. He rocked back and forth slowly. Ayase was still moving, still fighting the drugs.

"I trusted… you."

Ayase's words slurred, but they still cut Kanou to the bone. He breathed in deep, steadying himself as Ayase finally grew still. "I trusted you too," he whispered.

He cradled the sleeping angel in his arms and just listened to the sound of the boy's beating heart. Ayase had fought him until the bitter end; it left a sour taste in Kanou's mouth. He didn't want to move, didn't want to let go of his angel so Gion could start the operation that they had planned on. He just wanted to sit and hold his angel and pretend that everything was okay.

"Mmm, his misery is invigorating, Kanou. I can see why you keep him around."

Kanou's eyes flashed angrily as he whipped his head up to look at the grinning blond demon standing next to him. Bundling the sleeping, tear-stained angel closer to his chest, he snarled back quietly, "That's not the reason I'm doing this, you idiot."

Gion studied him, no doubt noticing how the wingless demon had curled his whole body around the defenseless angel.

"I know."

Kanou gave no answer. His head was back in the curve of Ayase's neck, listening to the boy breathe softly. Here, in his arms, was where the little angel belonged. Now, though, when his little one had felt so afraid… Kanou felt no triumph. His heart simply ached, matched in rhythm with the beating of the heart within the body he cradled tenderly in his arms.

"You know," Gion's voice ventured quietly, "it'll never work."

Kanou's arms squeezed tighter around his angel. Those words had been echoing in his head since the moment he came home to see Ayase in the air. Those words scared him to death.

"I wonder what he will be like afterwards? I hope you'll leave him here with me after I take his wings out. I bet his world would come crashing down around him- I can feel it now, so delicious."

"Stop talking, Gion, before I rip your tongue out."

"He'll probably never be the same," the blond demon continued in a bored drawl, as though he hadn't heard the menace in Kanou's tone. "Angels are such delicate creatures. It makes their distress all the more enticing-"

"Would you shut up already?" He was breathing hard. Turning a glare in the other demon's direction, Kanou felt his determination falter at the look on Gion's face.

"I can't lose him, Gion. I've made up my mind, damn it! I will not back down, not when I've come this far. If I don't make a stand here and now, the same thing will just happen again. And I will not sit back idly just to watch him fly from my window, knowing I had the chance to ensure he would never have the ability to escape from me."

For a moment, the room was silent. He was breathing heavily, too heavily. His arms squeezed tighter around the body in his hold. Why did he feel cornered?

"I change my mind."

Kanou looked up, confusion on his face at the words Gion had muttered.

Frowning, the other demon moved to lean back against the wooden table. His arms folded before he leveled a look at the crouching demon.

"You have become soft, Kanou. Just look at you. Have you even been listening to what you just said? So dependent on that weak being. It's disgraceful."

A warning growl rumbled from Kanou's throat as his eyes narrowed dangerously at Gion's words, but the blond demon continued on despite the threat.

"You're worried taking his wings away completely will hurt him like it did you. No matter what, after today he won't be the same. But since you're so determined to make sure that the brat has no choice but to stay with you, why not do it in a way that lets him keep his precious wings?"

The sudden confusion on Kanou's face had Gion sighing.

"And they called you a genius? Just clip his wings, you moron."

The idea was so shocking Kanou didn't know what to say. Clip the feathers? He hadn't thought it could be done. Angel feathers were incredibly strong. They were durable enough to be used in combat, and considering that most angels and demons fought with a sword- the very notion that the feathers used defensively in those battles could be surgically cut was almost laughable, even the wings of a weak angel such as Ayase.

"Quit yanking my chain, Gion. I'm not in a good mood- you keep poking at me and I'll rip your head from your body."

"That threat would hold more weight if you weren't snuggling up to a fluffy angel."

"Gion…"

"I'm just teasing you, Kanou, sheesh." Gion flashed a grin. "Anyway, I didn't even think it would be possible until I saw him today. He's a bit of a weakling, and his wings are rather small. I think it can be done."

Kanou's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"My sword."

"Are you stupid?"

"Just hear me out for a second, Mr. Grouchy Pants. Ayase is an angel and, under normal circumstances, his feathers would be practically indestructible. However, he grew up on earth, right? His wings are clearly deformed and his body fairly weak. I'm certain that his feathers can't be as strong as a regular angel. With a little time and pressure, I'm pretty sure that I can cut through them. It might take me all night, but I have the time if you do. Of course, just taking out the whole wing at the base would be a lot less time consuming, and you wouldn't have to worry about them growing back. If we just clip them, you'd have to keep coming back if they do heal themselves, and who knows what kind of psychological damage that could do to your little bird."

"But, he'd get to keep his wings." A feeling of hope suddenly sparked within Kanou's chest. Ayase's wings, while they were the bane of his own existence, were the pride and joy of his small lover. If it was possible to keep Ayase happy, and still tether him to the ground, it might just be worth trying out Gion's proposed temporary solution.

"It's your call, buddy. Who's to say it'll even work. We might end up having to take them out completely anyway-"

"No."

Looking down at the sleeping form in his arms, Kanou shifted, slipping his hand over the boy's back where his small wings were covered by the jacket he wore. He traced their invisible form through the fabric. Dulled by the drug coursing through the boy's body, the wings didn't even react to his touch.

These appendages were the one thing standing between the happy life he had envisioned living out with Ayase. If he were to take them away completely, would Ayase really ever trust him again? The little angel- so naïve and young- found such joy in his wings. To take them out would probably destroy Ayase- but to leave them would end up destroying himself.

He couldn't back down now, though. If Kanou changed his mind and let the angel keep his wings, they'd just be back in this same situation again. Ayase was too curious, too tempted. He'd already shown that he could fly- that he would try to escape to the skies if left alone.

There really was no other choice- either way, he was trapped.

Breathing deeply, Kanou looked up at his friend. Steeling himself, he nodded curtly.

"Clip them."

()

Four and a half years ago, Kanou had found himself alone on the streets of Shinjuku, freshly shoved out of the underworld, wounded and in pain. The banishment had left him drained, hardly able to support himself standing. In the shelter of a dumpster in a deserted alleyway, he had slumped, gasping for breath and struggling to pull his wits together. The collective shock of the banishment and pain of the punishment he had endured had left him in a state of such agony he hadn't been able to contain himself. His radiating pain had attracted the attention of an inquisitive, soft-hearted angel; one with small wings and warm blue eyes.

Clouded by pain, Kanou hadn't realized at first that anyone had even entered his alley; not until the boy reached out for him, asking in a wavering voice if he was alright. He had looked up, hearing a mumble of soft words, and immediately recognized the glowing brilliance shining from the boy's body. Of course God would laugh at him by sending an angel to be the first creature he met on earth; when he was in such a vulnerable position, in no state to fight back.

He had expected the angel to draw a sword and strike him down. There was a war brewing in the city, after all. Banished or not, Kanou was the enemy in this angel's eyes, wasn't he?

Instead, he had looked up into blue eyes full of concern. He had thought he must be hallucinating, because no angel would look at a demon with such a gentle look in their eyes. The boy- for Kanou could by now see that the angel was only a young one, not yet equipped with a sword of light- extended a hand, asking if he was alright, surely repeating the question because Kanou knew the boy had been speaking previously, but he couldn't recall the words.

Before the young angel could touch his small, gloved hand to the demon's shoulder, a shadowed figure behind him had pulled the youth backwards.

"Ayase! I told you to stop!"

A third figure stepped up, tugging the little angel to their side, as the second figure came into the flickering light.

"Kanou Somuku: the demon who was banished even from the depths of hell." The angel's voice had been soft, yet it rang with clear dislike, mistrust and scorn. He had looked down on the wounded demon, sneering. "We had received warning that you might take refuge in this town. Never did I dare to believe that the rumors would be true."

Kanou's eyes had lowered to half-mast. He knew this angel: Blonde hair, strong chin, blade of blue light at his side. He had lifted his chin, scoffing lightly. "What better place to be than this god-forsaken town, hmm? Ichiei Yukiya." The angel in question had stiffened, but Kanou ignored him, turning his head slowly to examine the two other angels hidden in partial shadow. He grinned as he surveyed the defensive stance of the third angel- a female- blocking the younger one. "Matsuko Yukiya. Ahh, and your offspring. What was his name?"

"Enough!" Ichiei had stepped to the side, blocking the view of his family from the demon's sight. "Your kind isn't welcome here, Somuku. You may no longer belong to the underworld, but you sure as hell do not belong here either. I will be reporting your presence to the council. I suggest you leave if you do not wish for them to be monitoring your sorry state."

"Are you expecting thanks for the warning, Ichiei? I am a free demon; the council you silly featherheads report to is none of my concern."

"You've been politically hanged, Somuku. As a banished demon, you know the rights you possess are limited. These grounds you sit on are angel territory, and I won't allow a wayward devil to cause mischief on my watch. I'm warning you now: do not cause any trouble in my city, or I will ensure that the council takes care of you for good."

Kanou had chuckled. The angel before him- captain of the angel guard sent to Shinjuku- would not dare to kill him in front of his only child. His words posed no threat either- by the time their silly angel council heard the news, Kanou would be long gone.

With a low growl, Ichiei had turned and strode away, grabbing the arms of his wife and child and pushing them towards the exit. Watching them leave, Kanou had caught the attempt of the offspring angel to turn his head to look back. Those glowing blue eyes had settled briefly on darkened dragon slits before the angelic family turned the corner and were out of sight.

Such excitement, and he had only been in town for less than an hour already. His body had started trembling from the exertion and loss of blood. He had only meant to rest for a few more minutes, but somehow his eyes slipped closed and he fell into a world of black.

He had never, in his wildest dreams, expected the young angel to return to him that night.

A soft voice and gentle shake to his shoulder had brought him back to the land of the living. Eyes opened to a sea of concerned, frantic blue.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were dead."

Kanou had groaned, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Ichiei's offspring, the young angel with compassion in his blue eyes, was crouched before him.

"I wasn't sure you'd still be here. You do know that it isn't safe to be sitting in an alleyway, don't you? Even if you are a demon, you seem to be hurt pretty badly- **.** "

"What are you doing here, kid? Didn't your daddy tell you never to talk to demons? Especially ones like me that feel like crap and are annoyed enough to try and eat you just to get you to shut up?"

The angel had flinched at his tone, his shoulders hunching up as he bowed his small head. In the flickering light, Kanou could have sworn the boy wore a halo on his blond head- even though those objects were only something created by the imagination of humans.

"You're hurt." The boy's voice was soft but determined. "I came to help you."

Clutched in the angel's hands, Kanou finally noticed the first aid kit. From the small arm dangled a convenience store bag, with some sort of thin box inside.

"I know that you're a demon and I'm an angel, but I still don't think that's a good reason to just leave you here. I could feel your misery when we passed by earlier. I can't just ignore it, simply because of what you are."

Baffled, Kanou had merely stared at the angel before him.

Most likely unnerved by the attention, the little angel had presented his medical kit. "May I?"

The kindness had been so befuddling that Kanou continued to stare. Then, without his permission, his right arm had lifted, presenting itself to the angel before him. Blue eyes crinkled as the angel smiled and it was as if the world was suddenly sprouting flowers and sunshine around him. The feeling was absurd, but electrifying.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Ayase Yukiya. And yours?"

"Kanou Somuku."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Somuku."

Kanou had growled at the surname. "Don't call me that, kid. I'm old, but I'm not that old. If you're gonna fix up my arm, you call me Kanou."

Ayase had smiled, not at all fazed by the demon's gruff tone. "Right. Kanou."

Kanou had huffed softly as the boy- Ayase- set to work rolling up his sleeve and cleaning the blood from scratches on his arm. The small bag had been set aside, drawing his attention.

"What's in the bag, Ayase?" It had been strange to address the angel by his name. Demons never spoke to angels, but this boy crouched before him was different. Kanou had licked his lips. It had felt weird, but he wanted to say it again.

"Huh? Oh, it's some leftovers from the compound. I thought you might be hungry. You can open it."

He'd brought him food?

Unwrapped, the parcel had revealed a chunk of grilled fish and veggies. The smell had set his stomach to growling, and soon he was digging into the meal one-handed. As he ate, his eyes had wandered to watch the boy as he worked. Ayase had removed his mittens in order to better handle the wrappings, but he seemed to be having difficulties with the sleeves of his large coat slipping down his hands. Annoyed, he had finally sat back and removed his coat, folding it carefully and laying it on top of the emptied bag to keep clean.

"Aren't you going to get cold?" Kanou had asked. There was a chill in the air, and even though they were sheltered from the wind by the alley walls, he was surprised at the concern he genuinely held for the little angel's comfort.

"I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt," Ayase had laughed. The sound made Kanou's heart do a flip-flop within his chest. "And besides, it's not that cold back here. And it won't take me much longer to finish this."

As Ayase bowed his head to work again, Kanou had looked over the boy's shoulder, entranced by the ridge of white wings he could just see behind the boy's shoulders. They were vibrantly white, bobbing in time to his work. The sight of them entranced him.

"So, um, why were you just sitting here?"

After shaking his head to rid himself of the ridiculous thoughts that had sprouted in his head, Kanou had snorted. "I'm not going to move just because some high and mighty angel tells me I have to."

"Huh? No, that's not what I meant. Well, I mean, I guess I _was_ wondering why you would still be here after all that time, but what I meant was: why didn't you go to someone's house? You're hurt; surely there's someone you know who you could have gone to?"

"I do have a place to go, but it's a bit far from here. I just wanted to sit in some peace and quiet for a moment. A certain trio of angels kind of ruined that for me, though."

When Ayase smiled, Kanou had felt like his pain floated away. The boy sat back after a moment, and Kanou lifted his right arm to examine the fresh bandage. It was wound tightly around his arm: not too tight so as to be uncomfortable, but enough that it wouldn't slide around. Kanou couldn't have done a better job if he'd tried. The whiteness of the crisp linen entranced him.

"Are you hurt anywhere else, Kanou? You seem to have a lot of blood on you-"

"No, I'm fine." The angel had looked so worried it had filled him with a warm feeling. No one had ever shown him such concern before. "Really, I have a friend who can patch up the rest of me. You better get home before your dad finds out you've run away."

Ayase had smiled. When he stood, a sudden draft blowing down the alley reminded him that he was no longer wearing his jacket, prompting the angel to turn in a circle, looking for where he had placed it. As his back was shown to Kanou for the first time, demon eyes had grown large at the full sight of Ayase's wings: beautifully white, small, and yet awkwardly twisted in a way that refused them the ability to fully close. Staring at them, Kanou had wondered if the boy was even capable of flight or of defending himself. Thoughts had whirred in his head as the boy covered those wings with his large jacket; and as the angel skipped away into the night, those kind blue eyes and tiny wings would stay burned into his mind long after he had disappeared.

()

Back pressed to the closed door of his bedroom, Kanou waited, listening for signs of movement from within. He had put Ayase to bed the moment they got home; and for as long as he had dared, he had stayed by the unconscious boy's side, simply looking down at the peaceful face.

It had taken Gion most of the day to crop the angel's feathers. Seeing their resistance to his demonic blade had only convinced Kanou that the angel had been lying to his face the whole time: There was no way the boy wouldn't fly one day, not when his feathers displayed such angelic strength.

And yet, when the deed had been done and he had looked down at the sleeping boy, wings spread wide on the surgery room table to reveal the feathers that had been cut from the ends, a feeling of utter… _wrongness_ had crept over him. It was almost worse than seeing the boy with no wings at all. The wings appeared mutilated, foreign- simply _wrong_. Ayase didn't look the same. It was like his innocence had been stripped away.

" _Once you do this to me it can never be undone!"_

Staring down at the boy, Ayase's words had echoed in his head.

What had he done?

His large finger had traced the remains of the feathers that had been clipped, and in that moment, he knew he had made a mistake. He had only wanted to keep Ayase by his side, to show him that he didn't need the angels he so longed to rejoin. They were coming for him, waiting until God's power restored the slowly recovering wings to full strength- he had needed to put a stop to it! But had this really been the right choice? Clipping his wings had seemed so much more humane back in Gion's office, but now… he wished he hadn't let his anger take control. Ayase's one joy in life came from those wings, and in a single moment of weakness he had taken that away from his small lover. Those small, twisted wings were now permanently mutilated; gone were the once proud, white feathers that had extended as though to defy the shame that the malformation had attempted to pin him down with.

A faint rustling through the door had his heart leaping into his throat, jolting him back to the present. The angel must be waking. He could hear blankets shifting amidst low, indecipherable moaning. Kanou tensed, feeling exposed, even though he was out of the angel's sight. His heart pounded, betraying his sudden unease.

Had Ayase noticed his wings yet? How out-of-it was he still? The questions ran circles through Kanou's mind as he strained to hear through the door. The drug Gion had given the boy was extremely strong, but it should have worn off by now. That was why he had left the room: Justified or not, he didn't want to be there when the angel woke up and realized what had been done to him. What Kanou had done to him.

 _"Please, Kanou. Please, I'm begging you."_

Kanou shook his head, banishing the angel's pleas from his thoughts. What he'd done- It had been done for the both of them. Ayase needed to understand that he no longer belonged anywhere but with the demon. Once that got through to him, surely he would understand the actions Kanou had taken. Rejoining the angels and returning to Heaven were not options open to the little angel. Ayase belonged on earth at Kanou's side: nowhere else. Those wings were only a distraction, a reminder of a past that no longer belonged to him. If taking them away was the only way to force Ayase to recognize his fate, then so be it. Kanou would do anything to make him realize it.

He jerked as suddenly, from within the bedroom, a scream cut clearly through the air. " _Kanou_!"

And it was as if a knife had been thrust into his heart and cruelly twisted.

Ayase's voice, filled with raw agony- even in that single, screamed word- filled Kanou's ears, his body and his soul. His large hands clenched into fists and pressed into the wood behind him. They trembled.

His name: Ayase had screamed his name. Kanou didn't know what he had been expecting. He had been prepared for Ayase to be upset and cry, perhaps to mope quietly around the house- but to hear the sound of his name come from his precious boy in such agony- why did it hurt so much?

From inside the room, hysterical sobs replaced the echo of the initial cry.

Closing his eyes to the sound of his angel in the room behind him, Kanou raised one hand to his chest and clenched his shirt over his erratically beating heart. He had done this for a reason. It wasn't only a punishment: it was a means to ensure that the angel stayed by his side. Forever. Ayase belonged to him, so he was within his rights to do whatever he wanted to the angel. No one would ever be able to take Ayase away from him now. Ayase would understand. This was where the angel belonged now: by Kanou's side.

" _I won't run; I wouldn't fly even if I was able to!"_

No, he couldn't trust what Ayase had said in Gion's office. Kanou tried to summon his anger back, his justification. The boy had manipulated him, hadn't he? Even to the very end, he had given his word that he would never leave. But the angel was a liar. Kanou knew what he'd seen that day. Ayase could fly, and even if he couldn't at the time, he was well on his way to being able to. And once those wings healed completely, he would leave if Kanou didn't tie him down. Especially now that the angels were invading the city again, trying to take him away. If they managed to corner him on his own, the boy would surely leave with them. He would leave on those damned wings and fly away forever.

He had tried to be merciful, tried to let Ayase keep his wings. This had been the only way. There was nothing else he could have done.

So why did it feel like he was the one who was wrong this time?

" _You are the only person on earth that I trust."_

Lies. Kanou grit his teeth as he shook his head of Ayase's pleading voice. It was all lies to bring him into the same state of delusion they had been living under. He wasn't wrong.

Ayase's face flashed before him, smiling so proudly as he presented his wings- whole and finally free of pain- to him. That peaceful face so gentle in sleep. The passion that glazed his blushing face when they made love. The memory of his small body scooting carefully backwards in the bed until he was pressed against Kanou's stomach, moving slowly as if to fool Kanou into thinking that it was the demon who was moving close instead.

The sobs inside the room evaporated into heart wrenching, muffled cries.

Sinking to the ground, the demon lowered his head, hand fisting tighter into his shirt.

He could see Ayase's joyful face whenever he came home from work early, proposing they go out for dinner and a walk. The way Ayase danced around the house as he cleaned, singing at the top of his lungs. The joy on his face when Kanou had come home that fateful day, flushed from the thrill of being in the air.

The images wouldn't stop.

Ayase's cries grew stifled.

" _Do you trust me, Kanou?"_

Out of the shadows of his bowed face, a single tear fell to the ground where it soundlessly soaked into the carpet, as though it had never been there at all.

()

 _End_

 **A/N:** As you can tell, this is a messy story. No one ends up happy in this one. If you haven't read the companion fic, written from Ayase's perspective, go check it out: "All to Pieces". Kanou and Ayase have very different views on this situation, which made writing these two pieces really interesting. I enjoyed getting into their heads, and hope that you enjoyed the ride along with me, however painful and sad it may have been.


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